Epiphany
by lunarfaewolf
Summary: Something is missing, she knows what it is, but will she pursue it? Maybe someone can give her a little push in the right direction towards what she knows she needs.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: GUYS! To my faithful readers this might seem like a bit of a surprise, buuuut, here's my Fleurmione story. A bit of a surprise to me too since it was kind of just an idea that burst into a story, but I hope you all enjoy either way. And to new readers, welcome to my story and I hope you enjoy it. I've been reading Fleurmione fanfiction for years so this is kind of like...I dunno how to explain it really, but it's kind of nerve wracking. So, hopefully I can live up to what I've read. Don't mind all the typos, eventually I'll get to them I'm just lazy tonight. **

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Epiphany

Chapter 1: Ice

Winter, specifically February, was the worst time of the year, besides the normal cold, harsh winds and snow, there was ice. Now, there's several forms of ice pedestrians and drivers need to look out for; there's slush ice, which is as it sounds, a mush of ice crushed to make your tires veer into random grooves and spin out. There's black ice which you can't see until you're already slipping and sliding, which makes it the most dangerous you would think, and of course, the normal, white ice that builds up on the outcrops of houses and establishments, threatening to fall on your head as you walk by. Fleur Delacour housed a different form of ice, in fact, she thought herself made of ice. As she walked down the street from Gringott's, she scowled as a breeze blew and she wrapped her powder blue scarf tighter around her neck. She'd been living in London for six years now and the cold season wasn't any easier to get used to. As she reached her apartment building, a heavy sigh escaped her lugs as she adjusted her shoulder bag and took the stairs five floors up to her penthouse loft. Why didn't she apparate, you ask? Well, Fleur Delacour was anything, but unfit and taking the stairs helped keep her legs in their always toned condition.

"Bonjour, Alizee," She greeted as she walked into her loft and smiled at the small white owl that ruffled its feathers at her arrival. That's when she heard a deeper hoot that didn't belong to her. Her blue eyes glanced over to see a large brown owl that was sitting comfortably on the kitchen counter by her sinks. "I don't think I recognize you." The blonde set her bag down on her couch and approached the great bird as he held a letter gently in his beak. He squawked as she retrieved the envelope and she gently patted his head. "To Miss Fleur Delacour," She read out loud as she glanced down at the brown bird. "'As a nice sound to it, non?" The owl just ruffled its wings impatiently as she rolled her eyes and tucked a lock of blond hair behind her ear. "You are cordially invited to the wedding of 'Arry James Potter and Ginerva Molly Weasley on the fifteenth of April, well it's about time they got 'itched. Please RSVP via owl or floo." There was a small card attached at the bottom of the invitation with 'accept' or 'decline' with boxes next to them. Blue eyes glanced over at the brown bird who was impatiently waiting for her to reply so he could be on his way. The French witch opened one of the drawers on her island and pulled out a pen before checking one of the boxes and handing it back to the owl. "'Ere you are."

There was a soft hoot as he hopped back towards the half opened window and was on his way. Fleur sighed as she went over and shut the window before going to the cupboard and pulled out the food for Alizee, pulling off her scarf and flicking her wrist, igniting a fire in her grate to warm up the loft from the opened window. It had been a while since she had spoken to anyone from the Order, the only ones who seemed to want to keep in contact were Luna Lovegood and Harry. As she walked to her room, she was suddenly filled with worry at how any sort of reunion would play out. She had skipped the invite to the one year reunion of Voldemort being defeated and had been slightly ostracized since then. She scoffed slightly, remembering the events that led up to her isolated lifestyle as she stripped out of her work clothes and into a pair of sweat pants and a plain white t-shirt. The rest of her night was spent on the couch going over paper work for the next day in front of the fire with a mug of hot tea. Her blue eyes kept glancing back at her refrigerator where the invite hung by a magnet. It had been two and a half years since she'd had to worry about being in a large group of people and in all honesty, she didn't desire to go, but she adored Harry and it was his wedding.

"This will be interesting."

x—x

There was a soft tapping on living room window as brown eyes scanned over hover her course work for the morning while she ate breakfast. Hermione Granger sighed softly before she stood and closed her books.

"Ginny!" The girl yelled as she stood up to open the window for the frost coated owl. "You've got mail!" There was a series of rapid footsteps stampeding down the stairs of Grimmauld Place as the fiery red head entered the living room and her friend handed her an envelope. "Looks like someone RSVPing." Ginny gasped as she read the name on the letter and ran a hand through her locks.

"You're never going to believe who is coming to the wedding," Ginny said as she went and sat down on the couch as Hermione was packing her books into her satchel before freezing. "Haven't heard from her in almost three years." Hermione just nodded as she narrowed her brown eyes and shook her head.

"I'm surprised you invited her." Hermione muttered as she glanced at her friend who just shrugged and set the envelope on the table. "You were never really close."

"_We _were never close," The red head reiterated as she glanced at her wrist watch and sighed. "It wasn't just me, although I do respect her for what she did for you three during the war. Harry is rather close to her though, and so is Luna." Hermione nodded silently as she brushed a few stray curls behind her ear. After the war, about six months after, Fleur and Bill had a falling out and the blonde witch all but disappeared from their lives. Not that it really affected their lives much, but she had taken care of Hermione after the incident at Malfoy Manor and every now and then she'd find herself wondering where the French woman was. "Well, I have to get off to practice."

"In this weather?" Brown eyes glanced up when she heard a heavy creak above her head and slow footsteps.

"Quidditch has no weather restrictions." Ginny smirked before throwing on her heavy jacket and scarf as Harry groggily made his way down the stairs. The youngest Weasley chuckled at her fiancé's disheveled appearance before pecking him quickly on the lips. "I'll see you two later." Harry smiled sleepily as Hermione waved before slipping out the door. She stood up then before slipping on her coat as Harry trudged into the kitchen to get something to eat. Hermione, Ginny, Luna, and Harry had been living in Grimmauld Place shortly after the war and had helped the man liven it up. They barely saw Luna since she was working as the editor of the Quibbler and working in the Department for Regulations and Control of Magical Creatures. Ginny was a starting chaser for the Holyhead Harpies, and Harry was working his way towards being an Auror. Hermione herself was interning at the Department with Luna and working her way into Magical Law Enforcement.

"You have to work today, 'Mione?" Harry asked as he returned with a mug of coffee in his hand and sat down on the couch before noticing the envelope on the table. He picked it up and his eyes widened slightly before a small smile spread on his face.

"Yes I have to work, Magical Creatures today." She answered as she wrapped her scarf around her neck and checked the time. Then, she noticed the smile on Harry's face as he set the letter down and sipped his coffee. "I see you noticed who RSVP'd"

"Is it wrong of me to be happy to know she's at least alive?" He asked quietly as his green eyes glanced up at his best friend. "I've been worried ever since her and Bill's divorce. She just…locked everyone out."

"That's her own doing, Harry." Hermione answered, a bit harsher than she had intended it to come out, but it was the truth. Just because Fleur divorced Bill didn't mean she had to close herself off from all of her friends. "She didn't need to vanish from the face of the wizarding world."

"You know how the Weasleys can be," Her friend answered as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "You of all people should know what she went through, except, she didn't have anyone close to her to turn to. All the friends she'd made were Bill's first, besides me and you of course, but you practically loathed the woman."

"I didn't _loathe _her," The brunette defended herself. "She just gave off a horrible first impression." She shook her head and sighed before making her way towards the door. "Anyways, I have to get going. I'll see you this evening?" Harry nodded as he waved at his friend before she opened the door to the frigid February air. Hermione could've apparated or flooed to the Ministry, but as cold as it was, she enjoyed it. She tried to keep balance in her life between using magic and not, she was muggle born after all. Luckily, it wasn't snowing very hard this morning and the walk to the telephone booth wasn't hand numbing as it was the other day. As she descended down into the lobby, she saw Luna sitting by the fountain reading the Quibbler, her fingers deftly twirling locks of platinum blonde hair around her fingers.

"Good morning, Hermione," The blonde greeted without looking up from the magazine. Hermione was still amazed, after all these years, how perceptive Luna was and smiled when her friend looked up and greeted her with warm smile that could melt the cold in her bones. "You're here a bit early." Luna stood up and stuck the magazine in her shoulder bag before walking with Hermione towards the elevators.

"You know me, Luna." Hermione sighed as they neared the elevator and a tall woman with raven black hair passed. "When haven't I been early in my life?" Luna was rather distracted as the dark haired woman passed and smiled at the blonde.

"Morning, ladies," She greeted as she nodded and went towards an empty elevator. The women nodded as the woman smiled and her elevator shot back and up. Hermione smiled as she gently nudged the blonde next to her as the car jolted.

"Are you ever going to talk to her?" The brunette asked as she watched a soft shade of pink fill Luna's pale cheeks. "She clearly likes you."

"She's one of the top Aurors in the Ministry," Luna said softly as she shook her head and the elevator shot up suddenly. "And she's three years older than I am, I can't rightly walk up to her and start up a conversation."

"I don't know if I've ever seen you so nervous, Luna." Hermione giggled as they reached their floor and exited. "So, you'll never guess who is going to attend Harry and Ginny's wedding."

"Fleur," The blonde answered nonchalantly and Hermione's eyes widened slightly. "She owl'd me this morning in her weekly letter."

"Weekly?" The older witch knew that Fleur had, for some reason, only stayed in contact with Harry and Luna, but she thought it was more often than weekly. "Just weekly?"

"Unless something of importance occurs." A small smile spread on Luna's lips as she nodded and went towards Mr. Diggory's office. "I have a lot of filing to do, but did you want to have lunch?"

"Sure," Hermione answered as she went off in the opposite direction. "That is if Mr. Donnely lets me, I'm in the Division of Misinformation today." Luna feigned an expression of pain as Hermione rolled her eyes. "So I'll let you know later, see you."

x-x

Fleur sighed heavily while on her lunch break. The goblins, for some reason were being far more unreasonable that normal and she often thought it was do to the cold weather. Either way, she decided that half a day was long enough to work and around two in the afternoon, she headed out. She'd received a request for lunch earlier and found herself wandering towards the Ministry to meet them. The sun was actually out and felt rather pleasant as the Veela sighed contentedly from the warm light. The snow was still crunching under foot as she finally reached the steps that led into the Ministry building where a woman with thick, black hair was waiting for her with a steaming cup of coffee in hand.

"Mocha latte, just how you like it." The woman smiled as she handed the cup to Fleur, who inhaled the steam deeply and sighed as the scent of chocolate and coffee filled her senses. With a wave of the raven haired woman's hand, a spot next to her cleared of snow and the blonde sat down. "So, how was work?"

"The usual," Fleur answered as she closed her eyes and took a slow sip of her latte. "The goblins are a bit more ornery than normal."

"When aren't they ornery?" Her friend jested as she sipped her own cup of steaming coffee. "You done for the day then?"

"Oui," The French woman closed her eyes as she felt the warmth spreading through her gloved hands. "'Ow about you, Jade?" The taller woman closed her eyes and shrugged before smirking.

"I can be done whenever I feel like it." She answered and Fleur smiled before leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees as Jade set her coffee down, folding her hands behind her head and leaning back. A few people coming back from their lunch break gave them odd looks, wondering why these two women were sitting out in the cold. "Why? Is there something you wanted to do?" Fleur smiled, she had met Jade McHale a couple years before when she had gone to file the papers for her and Bill's divorce. The dark haired woman was twenty-four as of the previous December, a few months older than Fleur and a transfer from the American Ministry. It didn't take long for the women to become close since Fleur really had no other friends.

"I've just missed your company is all." Jade raised an eyebrow at the woman next to her and chuckled. "What?"

"My company as in not seeing each other for a while," The bright eyed auror teased as she leaned back on her elbows. "Or as in sexually?" Fleur blushed slightly as she cleared her throat and drank her latte. For the past year Jade had seen Fleur at her most vulnerable and that had led to a sort of friends with benefits situation. Jade chuckled before running a leather gloved hand through her thick black locks. "Don't worry, mon ange," The elder woman had taken to calling the blonde that after their first meet and Fleur enjoyed hearing it in her native tongue often. "I wouldn't hold it against you."

"Stop teasing," The blonde jabbed the woman next to her with her elbow before huffing and folding her arms over her chest indignantly. "I thought you were pining after Luna anyways."

"Hey, I'm not tied down to anyone." Jade shrugged again before shaking her head and smiling playfully at the blonde who was still trying to stay stiff and composed. "True, I do find Miss Lovegood very appealing, but she seems a bit timid. Until then, I'm open for business." Fleur giggled before finishing her latte and looking back at her friend.

"I agreed to go to 'Arry Potter's and Ginny Weasley's wedding in April." The quarter Veela sighed finally as she stared up at a blanket of grey clouds that were starting to move in, promising snow. "I 'aven't seen many of those people in almost two years."

"I'm sure they'll all be thrilled to see you." The bright, blue eyed woman said calmly as she straightened up and saw the look of apprehension on her friend's face. Jade had only seen that look on Fleur's face a few times and sighed softly before standing up and offering her hand to the Veela. "Come on, let's go get some lunch, yeah?" Fleur reached up and gently grasped the older woman's hand with a smile on her face. As they walked down the street towards a small bistro that had just opened a couple weeks ago, Fleur stayed rather silent as Jade removed her hands from her pockets and opened the door. There were several witches and wizards in the establishment as they women walked in and they were seated in a corner booth in the back. "Are you worried about seeing her again?" The quarter Veela tensed slightly before the waitress brought over a couple glasses of water with lemon.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said shortly as she opened the menu and began scanning the choices.

"You know," Jade continued as she sipped on her water with a smug smirk on her face. "I see her in the Department every now and then. You should just talk to her." Fleur scoffed as she rolled her eyes and closed the menu.

"She's already involved with some imbecile if I recall correctly." The blonde spat as she swirled the ice cubes in her water lazily before the waitress came and took their orders. "Besides, she's too stiff to be with a woman in my opinion."

"Oh, Fleur," The raven haired auror chuckled as she rested her chin on her hand while looking at her friend. "You're not the Ice Queen you think you are, and she's not with that Weasley boy anymore so, stop being so angsty, that should've passed with your teenage years. Just talk to the girl." The Veela just sighed as Jade chuckled while their food was brought out. The meal went on with small talk, Jade had decided to drop her teasing as they talked about work and the upcoming wedding. They both split the check and donned their coats before exiting into the cold air.

"So," Fleur said as they walked aimlessly through London, not really knowing what to do. "Do you want to come keep me company in this cold weather?" Jade smirked as she looked down at the blonde next to her. She gave a slight nod as the blonde turned the corner to head back to her loft. It had been a while since the last time Jade and Fleur had been 'together', and the Veela found herself a bit nervous as they came to her building and walked up the four flights of stairs to her pent house. As soon as she unlocked the door and let Jade inside, she shed her coat and started a fire.

"Keeping the place nice and tidy, I see." The auror commented as she slung her coat over one of the chairs in the kitchen and hung her scarf over it. Jade was dressed in black slacks and a nice, royal blue button up dress shirt that made her eyes look like they were glowing. "I still think it's big for one person."

"Are you offering to move in with me?" The blonde jabbed as Jade chuckled and approached the Veela before leaning down to capture her lips. Kissing Jade was something Fleur thoroughly enjoyed, much more enjoyable than kissing Bill Weasley, but even though it was a kiss you could get lost in, it wasn't the kiss of Fleur's mate. Still, that didn't stop her from reveling in the warmth that was steadily, and quickly, building in her body as she reciprocated. As they separated, the blonde's head was a little hazy as she looked into now, darkened blue eyes. "Is that a yes?"

"Do you really think that'd be a wise idea?" Jade muttered as she smirked and wrapped her arms around Fleur's slim waist. "Friends with benefits living together? What will happen when you finally break down and tell your girl that you want to be with her?"

"I don't want to talk about 'er anymore," Fleur whispered huskily as she felt herself losing control and her hands began making quick work of the buttons on her friend's shirt. She gently guided (pushed) Jade down the hall towards her bedroom before pressing her lips firmly against the taller woman's neck. "I don't think you came to talk either." The auror quieted immediately as she was pushed into Fleur's room and the blonde kicked the door shut with her foot.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: I'm glad you all are enjoying the story so far! I hope that it continues to keep you all interested and thanks so much for the feedback! Reviews are always appreciated :D**

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Chapter 2: Sunshine

When Fleur woke, the sun was just sinking below the horizon and she stretched her arms over her head before feeling a pleasing warmth radiating from her right. She rolled over and smirked when she saw Jade lying on her stomach, her lower half covered by the top sheet as the rest of her was exposed. The older woman's one arm was folded under her head as she dozed and Fleur couldn't resist moving over, not-so-gently biting her friend on her neck. The Auror jumped slightly before opening her blue eyes and groaning.

"It's too early to be up."

"It's seven in the evening, mon loup." Fleur giggled as she glanced over at the wall clock above her vanity.

"Exactly." Jade retorted as she pulled the sheet up to her chest and rolled over towards the window. "Too early." Fleur rolled her eyes as she sat up and pulled the sheet off of both them. There was a gust of cool air that ran over her naked body and she instantly regretted doing what she had done. "You know, you're the only one that suffers from that. I have a higher body temperature after all." The Veela sometimes envied her friend for her high body temp and enhanced senses, being a lycan had some useful perks. Jade smirked as she watched Fleur visibly shiver before swinging her legs over the bed and stretching. "So are we going out tonight or what?"

"That was the plan." The Veela sighed as she reached for her black silk robe, quickly wrapping it around her body. "Did you 'ave any other suggestions?" Jade just shrugged as she found her dress shirt and slipped it on as well as her panties.

"You know me," The raven haired Auror groaned as she stood up and flipped her hair over her shoulders. "Anything past eight o'clock I'm ready for, AM or PM. So, where to? Not the Leaky Cauldron, I hope. I don't really want to see anyone I work with tonight."

"'Ow about Flourish?" The blonde offered as she rummaged through her closet and Jade nodded with a drawn out yawn. "'Ow can you still be tired?"

"Have you ever had sex with a Veela?" Fleur blushed slightly before shaking her head and averting her gaze to the floor as her friend chuckled, massaging her arm. "I can't very well disappoint, can I? I might not be invited back." The blonde scoffed playfully before throwing a sock at her friend who dodged easily. "What? It's not a bad thing, if anything you're keeping me in tip-top condition."

"Mon dieu, Jade" Pale blonde locks swished as Fleur shook her head and sighed. "You make me sound like a sexual deviant." Jade smirked before pulling on her pants and combing her fingers through her hair.

"Of course not, mon ange," The blue eyed lycan smiled as she bowed her head in a teasing manner. "You just have a lot of endurance is all." Fleur again, rolled her eyes as she moved into her adjoining bathroom to take a shower. Moments later, she stepped out and wrapped a thick, fluffy towel around her body before looking out in her room to see Jade was gone. She heard some dishes clanking in the kitchen and walked out to see the lycan sipping on a mug, the scent of fresh coffee hanging heavy in the air. Bright blue eyes glanced up to see Fleur and smiled. "I made you some too." She held up a gold colored mug and the Veela smiled before walking over to retrieve the coffee.

"You're too good to me sometimes."

"What are friends for?" Jade shrugged and Fleur moved to stand next to her, sipping her coffee leisurely. The woman next to her sighed softly as she set her mug down and looked out the window. "You know, Fleur, I want you to be happy and I know what's going to make you happy, whether you believe it or not. And I know _you _know what will make you happy." Fleur knew where this conversation was going and she was in too good of a mood to participate at the moment.

"Jade," She sighed before running her hand through her damp hair. "Please, let's not 'ave this conversation again. I'm fine where I am right now." Jade just chuckled and shook her head, knowing the tone of voice the Veela was projecting. "Let's just 'ave fun tonight, oui?"

"Sure, Fleur." Jade lifted her arm and gently draped it over Fleur's shoulders before giving her a gentle embrace. "We'll just have fun."

x-x

"Are you ready to go, Hermione?" Luna asked as she found the brunette sitting at her desk, mulling over some paperwork in front of her. "We're supposed to meet Harry and Ginny in half an hour."

"Ugh," The brunette groaned as she shook her head and let it collapse on her desk. "Why did I agree to go to this new club tonight? I have so much work to do." The blonde smiled before putting a calming hand on her friends head.

"I can help you with it tomorrow if you'd like," She offered with a small smile. "It is the weekend after all." Hermione just groaned again before lifting her head and shuffling her papers into a pile. "Besides, we promised that we'd all go out tonight since we haven't been able to see one another at the same time."

"Right," Hermione muttered as she shoved her papers into her bag and brushed her unruly curls back into a messy bun. "Right, ok Luna, I'm ready." She stood up and slipped her coat on before walking with Luna to the elevators. The Ministry was fairly empty besides the random Unspeakable you'd see slipping into an elevator. It was odd to Hermione how they could have any sort of life out of work since their job was as literal as their title. As they reached the row of grates, they walked into one as Luna grabbed a handful of floo powder.

"Flourish." The blonde said clearly as she dropped the powder and grabbed onto Hermione's hand. The brunette almost hated the Floo Network as much as apparating, mainly for the disheveled appearance she would arrive in. The establishment was dimly lit with glowing orbs that changed color and Hermione found herself struggling to adjust to the light. Luna's hand never left hers as she was pulled to her feet and soon she was being led off further into the club.

"Hermione!" She heard someone's voice ringing in her ears as she found herself at a large booth with stationary orbs above them which made it easier to see. A smile spread on her lips as she eyed George Weasley with a bright smile on his face as he pulled her into a hug. "It's good to see you! How's work going?"

"Well, it's work." The brunette answered as she took a seat next to the red head and Luna sat next to Ginny across from her. "I'm hoping to have a permanent position by Spring."

"Well they'd be insane not to take, The Great Hermione Granger onto their staff." George smiled as he nudged her with his elbow gently as she chuckled and shook her head. It had been a while since she'd seen George, who had been busy with his business, and since she and Ron had split, she hadn't seen much of any Weasleys except Ginny. "So, what have all you lot been up to?" The friends spent a good amount of time chatting and drinking as they caught up and a few moments later, Angelina Johnson showed up and to Hermione's dismay, Ron did as well. She hadn't really spoken to him since they had split a year ago, but needless to say, they hadn't left on a good note. Last she knew, he was trying to become an auror along with Harry while still working with George.

"Hello, all." Angelina greeted as Hermione stood and let her slip in next to George before pecking him on the cheek as Ron moved in next to Luna. "So, what have we missed?"

"Not much," George said as she slipped his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. "Just catching up with everyone." The waiter brought another round of butter beer as Hermione tried her best to ignore the red head across from her who kept blatantly staring at her.

"So," Ginny intervened finally as she caught her brother staring at Hermione. "Did you all here that Fleur has agreed to come to the wedding?" George and Ron gasped as they turned towards their sister who just nodded and sipped on her drink.

"Seriously?" Ron added as he looked at his sister as she nodded and Harry rolled his eyes. "She's got a lot of gall saying she'll go after not seein' anyone for two years or so. You think her and Bill will get on?" His friends just shrugged as he scowled and drank the rest of his beer. At that moment, the floating orbs over the bar and dance floor shifted to a deep green as the music changed. They all had gotten back on a better note as they continued to drink and socialize like the old friends they were. Then, Hermione noticed Harry squinting through the dim light towards the door and then a smile spread on his face. He pushed past Ron as Luna moved out of the way to walk with him. Brown eyes watched as the two made their way towards the entrance behind them and Hermione's tensed when she saw who they were headed towards.

"Oh, you must be joking." Ginny said out loud as she watched her fiancé and friend while the others turned to see what she was looking at. A few meters away was Fleur Delacour, embracing Harry in a friendly manner next to the tall, raven haired auror Hermione recognized as Luna's crush. "We haven't seen the woman in two years, and suddenly she just waltzes into the same club we are. What are the odds?"

"She looks good." George commented and Angelina shot him a harsh glare as he shrugged his shoulders. "What? She does! Better than when she was with our brother." Hermione did have to agree with George, silently of course, the quarter Veela did look very good. Her hair was falling straight over her shoulders, her bangs parted at the side to fall stylishly over her left eye. She felt a small tug in her chest as she saw Fleur glance over at their booth and she turned away quickly to avoid the icy gaze.

"Are you all right, 'Mione?" Ron asked suddenly as he noticed her odd behavior and she nodded her head, straightening up slightly.

"I'm fine, Ronald." She replied as she ran a hand through her curls and sipped her fire whiskey. Before she knew it, Fleur, the Auror, Harry, and Luna were making their way back towards the booth.

"Fleur, you remember Angelina Johnson," Harry introduced George's girlfriend to the blonde Veela. "And obviously everyone else. Everyone, this is Jade McHale." The raven haired woman smiled and waved at everyone who gave their greeting.

"Nice to meet you all." Jade said as she locked eyes with Hermione and smiled. "Was starting to wonder if Fleur had any other friends besides me." The Veela scoffed as she gently elbowed the lycan and cleared her throat.

"Yes, well," Fleur said as she ran a hand through her golden locks. "I 'ave been rather busy and after the separation, I didn't want to cause any unnecessary drama."

"We would've tried not to take sides." George said with a smile as he glanced at Ginny and Ron who were a bit less eager to converse with the Veela. "Anyways, would you like to join us?"

"I am sorry, but…"

"Of course, we'd love to." Jade intervened with a bright smile as she pulled a couple chairs from a table that was behind them and shot Fleur a glance. "It's not often that we run into long lost friends of Fleur, here." The blonde rolled her eyes as she sat, begrudgingly, and ordered a drink from a passing waitress.

"So what have you been up to, Fleur?" Harry asked as she slid back into the booth next to Ron. "I don't hear much, even from Luna who gets weekly letters from you." Fleur smiled at the blonde who was now sitting next to Hermione before she caught the stoic stare of the brunette.

"Working a lot," The Veela answered as her drink was brought over and Jade leaned back in her chair with a smirk on her face. "And well, I went back 'ome to France for a few months right after the divorce."

"How is Gabrielle doing?" The green eyed boy asked as he set his beer down and a small smile spread on Fleur's lips at the thought of her sister.

"She is well, 'Arry, thank you for asking." Fleur took a drink and then looked back into Harry's eyes. "She is in 'er third year at Beauxbatons and causing a bit of mischief from what I've 'eard from maman, not really following in my footsteps." The conversation went surprisingly well after that with George being very friendly with the Veela and her friend. Finally, George, Ginny, Harry and Angelina left to go dance, leaving the others to sit at the table. It was a bit tense with awkward glances before Jade decided to break the tension.

"So, you must be Hermione Granger," She said as she extended her hand and Hermione took it cautiously. "I've heard a lot about you." Fleur shot her a glare that Jade ignored and luckily, no one else saw under the dim lighting.

"Th-thank you," The brunette replied as she looked into glowing blue eyes. At first, she thought it was from the reflection of the white orbs above them that were gradually changing color, but as the orbs changed to red, Jade's eyes stayed bright blue. "Your eyes, are they…?"

"Glowing?" The auror finished with a sly smile. "Yes, it's so I can see in the dark." Hermione nodded as she narrowed her eyes and tried to think of if she'd seen anyone else with eyes that glowed like that. "So tell me, Miss Granger, how is your work going? I hear you're interning at the Department of Law Enforcement and the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, is that true?"

"Yes," Hermione answered as she leaned towards Jade a bit, happy to have found someone interested in her work. "I'm hoping to have a permanent position in the Department of Magical Creatures by the Spring."

"In what division?"

"Being division," She answered softly as she ran a hand through her hair. "I want to help for new laws for House Elves."

"Ah, Fleur has told me about that." Jade smiled as she glanced at the Veela who had tried to start a conversation with Luna to ignore her friend. "It's very honorable what you want to do."

"She told you?" Hermione blinked a few times before glancing at Fleur who was chatting with the other blonde and Jade nodded.

"S.P.E.W., was it?" The brunette nodded as Hermione flushed, thankful that it was dark before Jade stood up and stretched her arms. "Well, if you all don't mind, I'd like to ask Miss Lovegood for a dance." Luna gasped softly as Jade stood and offered her hand to the young blonde. Fleur watched as her friend guided Luna out to the dance floor and she sighed before noticing Ron glaring at her.

"Do you 'ave a problem, Ronald?" She asked, narrowing her blue eyes slightly before folding her arms over her chest. The red head scowled and shook his head as he got up, mumbling something about getting another drink. That left Fleur alone with Hermione who was twirling her ice cubes in her glass lazily, trying hard to avoid looking at the quarter Veela. "Do you despise me so that you won't even look at me?" Fleur asked as she shyly glanced at the brunette who stopped spinning her straw and sighed heavily.

"I don't despise you," Hermione answered softly as the lights changed from red to orange. "You just…you just left, Fleur, with no warning, no nothing. What was I supposed to do? I didn't know you were getting a divorce." Fleur ran a hand through her silky strands and shook her head.

"I didn't know 'ow you would react to the divorce." Fleur looked back at the dance floor to see the others laughing and Jade smiling down at Luna as they swayed. "The other Weasleys ostracized me, and at the time you were with Ronald. I thought maybe you'd do the same."

"I wouldn't have locked you out like you did to us." The younger witch argued as she sipped the amber liquid from her glass. The Veela sighed and sat back in her chair as Ron came back with another full mug of beer.

"I think I'll take my leave from 'ere." Fleur stood and scanned the area to see Jade and Luna walking back towards the table. "Are you ready, Jade?" The raven haired woman looked a little surprised as she glanced down at Hermione and saw the scowl on Ron's face. She nodded as she smiled down at Luna.

"I guess we'll have to take a rain check on that drink." Jade said softly as she rubbed the back of her head with a lopsided grin. Luna just smiled and nodded before taking a seat next to Ron. "Ready when you are, Mademoiselle."

"You shouldn't let her dictate when you leave, Jade." Hermione said as she eyed Fleur closely as she slipped her jacket on and looked over her shoulder at the brunette. "She doesn't own you." Jade just shrugged as she grabbed her own coat before casting Hermione a very charming smile.

"True, but," Glowing blue eyes locked with brown as she smirked. "I can't really leave her alone. She might seem like she's uncaring, Miss Granger, but she's a big softy. She might cry if I don't come with her." Fleur just growled as she shook her head and folded her arms over her chest indignantly. "Besides, it seems I'm the only friend that she has lately that won't let her push them away or let her run. I'd feel bad if I let her lock me out now." Hermione just stared wide eyed at the raven haired woman who winked and put her hand on Fleur's lower back. "Come on, Princess." Jade turned one last time to the others that were at the table. "It was nice to meet you all."

* * *

**-Omake-**

**Hermione: I don't like this you know.**

**Jade: Don't blame me, love. Blame the author.**

**Author: Well this is a Fleurmione story and Fleur has needs that Jade can satisfy.**

_**Hermione glares at Author. Fleur walks up and drapes arms around Jade.**_

**Fleur: You could always join us, ma belle. **

**Author: There's that too, I bet a lot of people would like that.**

**_More glares from Hermione as she folds her arms over her chest and huffs._**

**Hermione: Like I'd ever do that, that's just...**

**Author: You'd do it if I wrote you doing it.**

_**Jade smirks and gently wraps her arm around Hermione's waist as a steady blush filled the brunette's cheeks. **_

**Jade: It could be fun.**

**Fleur: Oui, I agree.**

**Hermione: Uhm...**

**Author: Take it to the bedroom ladies.**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Oh Monkgirl I knew it had to be you with those reviews and yes I know you've been rooting for a threesome and I'm considering it, I often wonder how that would turn out. Anyways, sorry for the typos in this chapter, I'm running late on getting to work but I wanted to get this posted so I'll fix them soon. Thank you all for the reviews and for reading this story! I'm glad to entertain you with my writing :D**

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Chapter 3: Rain

Hermione and her roommates arrived back at Grimmauld Place around midnight and she didn't even wait until she got to her room and collapsed on the couch with Ginny falling in the chair across from her.

"Well, that was eventful." Ginny sighed as she tossed her coat by the fire and slung her legs over the armrest. "Did you talk to Fleur at all?"

"Just a bit." Hermione answered with a groan as she kicked off her shoes and draped her arm over her face. "It wasn't exactly…horrible, but it wasn't pleasant."

"Are you going to be ok with her coming to the wedding?" The red head asked as she heard her fiancé clanking around in the kitchen making tea. "That might mean seeing her more often until April."

"It'll be fine, Gin." The older with sighed as she closed her eyes and saw Fleur in her mind. Although a bit older than she remembered, her looks only got better with age. She was more mature, pale, golden locks were longer, but her blue eyes were the same icy hue. The look in her eyes wasn't the same as it was the last time she'd seen her after the war. There used to be a warm glow in them after she had taken care of the brunette, after escaping Malfoy Manor, but now there was just a cold gaze. Another heavy sigh escaped her lips as she sat up and ran her hands through her hair. "I'm going to head to bed." She got up as Ginny nodded and made her way up the stairs to her room. Hermione stripped down to her under garments and slipped into her bed before waving her hand to dim the lights. As she laid in bed, staring up at the moonlight playing on the ceiling, Fleur once again entered her mind and she grumbled before rolling over. "She could've written at least, she writes to Luna." Hermione squeezed her eyes shut and sighed before pulling the blankets over her head, trying to sleep.

"Who writes to Luna?" Hermione peeked out from under her blankets and saw Luna standing in the doorway with a mug of tea. "Sorry I didn't knock, but I thought you could use this before you went to bed." She walked over as Hermione sat up and took the mug and inhaled the scent, letting it relax her muscles. Luna sat down in the chair by Hermione's desk and smiled. "Were you referring to Fleur when you were mumbling to yourself?" The brunette sighed and nodded before sipping on her tea.

"I don't know what to do, Luna." She set her tea down and looked into her friend's blue orbs. "After what happened at Shell Cottage, we didn't even talk about it and then she just leaves. If that's not bad enough, she will write you and Harry, but not me."

"You mean the kiss?" Luna asked softly as Hermione tensed and nodded as a soft blush dusted her cheeks. "Well, in all fairness, you did kiss Ron at Hogwarts. Maybe Fleur thought you weren't serious about her.

"She was married, Luna, I think I had the right idea thinking it couldn't happen." Hermione thought back to her and Ron's kiss and thinking that it wasn't as soft, or as enjoyable, as kissing the blonde Veela. "She didn't have to leave. I didn't even know about her and Bill's divorce until Ron told me about it."

"You know," The blonde said as she ran a hand through her silky hair. "You could've written her too. Owling works both ways, and Fleur just wanted to be alone for a while after their separation. Honestly, I don't blame her, we both know how…eccentric the Weasleys can be and Ginny and Molly were never her biggest fans." Luna paused for a moment before standing and smiling at her friend. "You should talk to her." She said dreamily as Hermione looked up at her with a surprised expression. "I think she'd be open to that." The blonde smiled before bidding Hermione good night and the older witch sighed as she fell back onto her bed.

x-x

Fleur was lying in bed on top of a sleeping Jade as she looked out the large window in her room, the waxing moon shining through dimly. Her reunion with Hermione hadn't exactly gone as she would've liked and far too soon than she expected. A heavy sigh escaped her lips and she swore she actually saw Jade's ears twitch.

"Having trouble sleeping, Princess?" The lycan grumbled as she turned her head and hazy, sleep filled blue eyes glanced down at the Veela. "Or are you ready to go again?"

"Don't be crude, Jade." Fleur muttered as Jade chuckled before stretching her arms over her head and groaning as Fleur leaned up, kissing the lycan softly on the lips.

"What was that for?" The Auror asked as she looked up at Fleur with shocked blue eyes. "Not that I didn't enjoy it."

"I just appreciate that you didn't fight me on leaving the club tonight." The Veela answered as she laid her head back down on her friend's shoulder. "You could've stayed if you 'ad wanted."

"When you broke down for the first time in my flat a year and a half ago," Jade started softly as she folded an arm behind her head with a sigh. "I promised you I would go after you if you ran, and let me tell you Fleur, you run a lot. I don't know what you're afraid of, but people aren't as horrible and unforgiving as you make them out to be most of the time." Fleur glanced up at Jade to see a small smile on her face as she pulled the top sheet up to cover the blonde's shoulders. "But, I won't let you push me out of your life. Besides your family, I'm all that you've got."

"At this point," Fleur whispered as she rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling fan. "You're all that I really need now."

"You need your mate." The lycan sighed as she closed her eyes and Fleur groaned, not enjoying whenever Jade would bring up this particular subject. "If I could be with you the way you needed, you know I would, but we both need more and I know you know that." Fleur did indeed know that and Jade was a very effective proxy for that need, but it wasn't love. Sure she loved the lycan as a friend, a best friend with obvious benefits, but she knew that Jade wanted more in the same way and not with Fleur. "I need mine too."

"It's not so easy, mon ami."

"At least you know who yours is." The older woman argued playfully as she rolled onto her side facing the blonde. "I have to go through the tedious task of dating until I get that 'feeling' around the right person."

"She doesn't want anything to do with me." The Veela retorted as she continued to stare aimlessly up at the ceiling. "Did you see 'ow she looked at me at the club? She utterly loathes me."

"Don't be silly, Fleur." Her friend said gently as she leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. "She's hurt, even I could tell that. You blocked out all of your friends, you just need to rekindle that romance." Fleur just sighed and stayed silent as Jade rolled her eyes. "You know I love you Fleur, you're my best friend and I want you to be happy. So, give her a chance, I think you'll be surprised."

"Per'aps you're right," She finally conceded as she looked over at her friend who was surprised the French woman had caved so easily. "I guess it wouldn't 'urt to try and remedy our situation."

"Really?" Jade asked softly as she raised an eyebrow at the blonde and chuckled. "Just like that? I expected more of a fight." Fleur just sighed and shook her head as she rolled over back onto her side to look into her friend's crystalline blue eyes. She leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on Jade's lips before gently cupping her face with her left hand.

"I do love you dearly, I hope you know." The lycan just smiled and pressed her forehead against Fleur's with a smile on her lips. "If I could choose my mate, it would've been you."

"I know," Her friend whispered as she pulled her close and sighed softly. "But I feel like if you did have a choice, you'd still choose Hermione, or at least she'd choose you." Fleur laughed as she buried her face against Jade's neck.

"I don't know about that," The blonde chuckled as Jade rolled over onto her back and Fleur half laid on top of her once again. "If you could 'ave seen 'er when she was fifteen you'd think otherwise. Back then, Ginny and 'Ermione really did 'ate me, but I was rather insufferable back then."

"You?" A mocked tone of surprise rolled from Jade's tongue as her eyes widened and she gasped loudly. "Insufferable? Why, I can't imagine such a thing." The two woman broke out into laughter as the Veela smacked the elder woman on the stomach gently. Soon, they were back in each other's arms, sleep finally hitting them hard as Fleur looked out the window one last time, wondering if she was on Hermione's mind.

x—x

` The weekend flew by for Jade as she had spent it with Fleur which she hadn't done in several months, but enjoyed it regardless of the sex. She hadn't been able to hang out with her friend for a while and have the 'mate talk', as she liked to call it, with her like she needed. Ever since they had started their 'friends with benefits' situation and ever since Fleur had confessed to Jade that she knew who her made was, the lycan had been trying to get her to approach the brunette. Jade didn't know Fleur before the war, but whatever happened between her and Bill had scarred her, made her wary of trust. She sighed heavily as she entered the lobby of the Ministry and then stopped, noticing Luna Lovegood sitting on the edge of the fountain reading the Quibbler.

"Good morning, Miss Lovegood." Jade greeted politely as light blue eyes glanced up and a soft blush dusted the blonde's cheeks as she smiled up at the Auror. "You're here early."

"I'm always here early, Miss McHale." Luna said airily as she shut the magazine right when Jade sat down next to her.

"Please, call me Jade."

"Then I insist you call me Luna." A smile spread on the lycan's lips as she nodded and sighed before closing her eyes.

"So," Jade started again as she leaned back on her hands before glancing down at the blonde. "How long have you known Fleur?"

"Since the Triwizard Tournament in my third year." The blonde answered as she tapped her chin as if she were remembering the exact moment she met the Veela. "She was kind to me I think mainly because I showed such an interest in her heritage. I'm very keen on magical creatures, you see." Jade nodded as she sat up and hunched over so she was resting her elbows on her knees. "When did you meet her?"

"Two years or so ago when she filed for divorce," The lycan answered as she smiled charmingly at Luna. "I noticed her in the hallway leaning up against the wall, she looked like she was going to collapse so I offered my help. We've been friends ever since." Luna nodded as she glanced at her wrist watch and looked down the lobby corridor. "Waiting for someone?"

"I am, she's always here early as well."

"Oh?" Jade's eyebrows raise slightly as she followed Luna's gaze down the hallway. "A girlfriend?" The blonde giggled and looked up at the raven haired auror before shaking her head.

"If by that you mean, a girl that is a friend," The younger witch teased as Jade blinked a few times and then turned her gaze back towards the corridor. A grate on the right side of the hallway lit up and out stepped a flustered, tired looking, Hermione Granger. "For the record," Luna added as she grabbed her bag and stood up with a small smile on her face. "I don't have a girlfriend." Jade smirked and nodded as the brunette approached and greeted the blonde.

"Good morning, Miss McHale." Hermione greeted as she tucked a few stray curls behind her ear that hadn't been trapped in her unkempt bun and Jade gave a polite nod. "You ready to head to work, Luna?" The blonde nodded and smiled her calm smile as the brunette whisked by.

"Luna," Jade called before she entered an elevator and the blonde turned around with a confused look on her face. "Would you like to join me for lunch?" Luna blushed softly before tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear and nodding. "Fantastic, I'll meet you at the fountain then." Again, Luna nodded as she backed into the elevator and Jade smiled charmingly at her.

The rest of the morning went by smoothly for Jade as she did her filing and waiting for anything exciting to happen. Although being one of the top aurors was a cushy, yet dangerous job, when there weren't dark wizards to hunt, it was rather boring. As she finished the last of her paper work, she heard a knock on her door and looked up to see her boss, Mr. Robards, standing there with a stern look on his aging face. She waved her hand and her superior walked into the office.

"I have a favor to ask you." Robards asked as he shut the door and sat down in the chair in front of Jade's desk.

"What?" The Auror played as she folded her arms over her chest and feigned hurt. "No 'hello'? Or 'good morning'? Just straight to business, hm?" Robards rolled his eyes as she ran his hand through his messy brown hair. "Well, spill it then, what favor do you need?"

"I need you to train the Potter boy." Jade's eyes widened slightly as she quirked an eyebrow at her boss who shook his head and sighed. "He was supposed to be with John Dawlish, but his wife went into labor and he'll be off for a tic."

"Just a tic?" Jade reiterated as she folded her arms over her chest and sighed. "What exactly is a tic here? Because a tic in America is one second, technically. Although you British never take your idioms literally."

"Come on, McHale," Gawain sighed heavily as she shook his head and folded his hands on his lap. "The kid has talent, obviously, and to be honest Dawlish really wasn't the one I wanted him to train with or apprentice under, he needs diligence and skill, who better than our top auror? You know you're in line for my job when I retire." Jade chuckled as she ran a hand through her hair to brush her bangs out of her face and locked eyes with the Head of the Auror Department.

"Are you hinting at something, sir?" She asked calmly as she sat back in her chair and Gawain smiled.

"Just that after going through the war," He muttered as he looked out the window reflectively before closing his dark eyes. "You sort of put thing in perspective for me, Jade. I should be spending more time with my family and I've been doing this for years." The lycan sighed and nodded before caving.

"All right, Gawain," She smirked when he seemed to lighten up a bit and rested her chin on her hands as she leaned onto her desk. "I'll take the kid under my wing, when do we start?"

"This afternoon," The Department Head said as he stood up and a satisfied smile spread on his bearded face. "He's got studying to do this morning on rules and regulations of the job, so when he gets here, I'll send him into your office." Jade nodded as he opened her door and stepped out. "I really appreciate you doing this for me, Jade."

"I know sir," A smile spread on her lips as she closed her blue eyes and nodded. "Don't worry, he'll be the best auror in the department before you know it, under me, of course." Gawain chuckled before waving his hand and shut her door behind him as he left. Jade sighed, she'd never really trained a new recruit before, but he should already know the basics of defense, so in her mind, it should really just be honing his skills and more strategic mind. She glanced at the clock on her wall across from her and smiled before standing up, making her way out of the office.

x-x

"What are you doing for lunch?" Hermione asked as she walked down the half with Luna who was holding a small paper bag in her hands and her normal, dreamy look on her face. "Did you want to go to the deli across street?"

"Sorry, Hermione," Luna said softly as they reached the elevator and rode it down to the lobby. "I'm actually having lunch with Jade today." Hermione gasped softly as she looked over at her friend as the car jolted to a stop. Luna stepped out and headed towards the fountain where she saw the raven haired auror already sitting, with another blonde standing in front of her. "Oh look, Fleur is here too." Hermione tensed slightly as she followed her friend and cursed inwardly at her disheveled appearance. She tried to smooth down some of her more unruly curls as they approached and Jade turned to smile at Luna.

"Ah, Luna, and Miss Granger," The Auror greeted as she stood and that's when Hermione noticed the rather irritated look on Fleur's face. "Forgive me, I had forgotten I had made plans with Fleur for lunch, but this works out perfectly." Her bright blue eyes glanced over at Hermione who flinched slightly under the intense gaze. "Would you mind accompanying Fleur, Miss Granger? I'd hate for her to eat alone, but I'm not one to break a date." Jade glanced at a slightly blushing Luna and then back at Fleur who rolled her eyes and sighed.

"She doesn't look too eager to spend time with me." Hermione retorted as she looked away and folded her arms over her chest protectively. Jade quirked an eyebrow at Fleur who just shot her an indifferent glare and stayed silent. The lycan sighed before leaning down towards Luna and whispered something in her ear. The shorter blonde smiled and nodded before turning to Hermione.

"Would you like to join us then, Hermione?" Luna asked airily as she smiled at her friend and Jade smirked at Fleur before shoving her hands in her pockets. "We could make it a double date." The brunette tensed at Luna's choice of words and chanced a glance at Fleur who had seemed to relax a bit, but still had that unresponsive look on her face. Hermione sighed, before rubbing her forehead and glancing up to see that Jade had moved towards her. The younger witch's first instinct was to step back as Jade leaned forward in the same manner she had with Luna.

"I promise it won't be as awkward as you're imagining." The lycan whispered as Hermione tensed before looking at the Veela, who seemed to have gotten more irritated with her friend's actions. "You see that? She's jealous, just give her a chance, Hermione." Jade pulled away at that moment and winked at the brunette before returning to Luna and smiling kindly before casting a glance at Fleur. "Come on, Fleur, I'm not going to let you eat alone and I'm not breaking a date with Luna. So, either you eat with Hermione or you eat with all of us."

"Very well," Fleur sighed as she straightened her arms at her sides and shook her head. "Shall we go then?" The Veela turned and headed towards the exit as Jade sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. She gave the younger woman a lopsided grin with an apologetic look as she waved her hand and motioned for them to follow. Fleur was more than agitated at this point and Jade could feel it as they exited the building and walked towards the deli a block of so away from the Ministry. She would've felt bad if she didn't know that the Veela really did want to spend time with the brunette, no matter how much she denied it or acted mad.

_She'll thank me someday. _The lycan thought to herself with a smirk as she held the door open for the girls and then walked into the deli. The blonde Veela was beginning to relax as she walked up to the counter and began ordering her food as Jade stood in the back behind Luna and Hermione. As Fleur moved to find a table, the Auror gently grabbed her by the arm, effectively stopping her in her tracks.

"Relax, Fleur," The woman whispered as she leaned in and felt her friend tense in her hand. "It's just lunch, no need to be all stiff about it. Just relax and talk with Hermione, ok?"

"I don't really appreciate you manipulating the situation," The Veela hissed as she pulled her arm from Jade's grasp and sighed. "But, I will try. If only for the fact that I don't want to murder you with so many witnesses." Jade smirked and nodded as the blonde walked past and found a small booth to sit in. After the three other woman had ordered their food, they joined the Veela, who looked a bit less rigid, at the booth and once again, Jade was the one to break the silence.

"So, are you done with work today, Fleur?" She asked as Hermione moved in next to her and Luna next to Fleur. Jade at least knew that neither woman could handle if they had to sit with one another, so she sacrificed sitting next to the younger blonde by opting to make the awkward situation a bit less awkward.

"Oui," Fleur answered as she folded her hands under her chin and nodded. "I 'ave been debating on only working 'alf days on Monday and Wednesdays since they are slower. For some reason, the goblins don't like to send me out for some reason on those days."

"Have you been anywhere interesting lately?" Luna asked as their food was brought over and set down on the table. Everyone took their orders as Fleur was dressing her salad. "I know you've been to Egypt a few times, as you've written, but that was a few months ago."

"Two weeks ago I was Greece," The Veela smiled as she took a bite of her salad. "We were looking for the lost temple of Alexander the Great."

"Did you find it?" Hermione asked as she cut her sandwich in half and looked up into Fleur's blue eyes. For a moment, it seemed time had actually stopped. Fleur was scowling or glaring, but looking calmly at the brunette as she shook her head.

"It would've been quite the discovery," Fleur continued as she shoved the salad around with her fork. She had to admit, it was nice to speak with Hermione when neither of them were at a stand-off. "But regretfully no, but we did find another temple honored to Athena which had a large amount of gold in it."

"Sometimes I think your job is more exciting than mine." Jade added as she drank her soup from the bowl. "Maybe I should ditch being an auror and join you as a Curse Breaker."

"You are very proficient at breaking blood wards," Her friend said with a small chuckle. "Something I 'ave never mastered."

"Blood wards are one of the hardest to dispel." Luna added dreamily as she took a bite of her sandwich. "I was never very effective at it either back at school. Although, they only let us try once and then McGonagall deemed it 'unnecessary'. I rather enjoyed learning about curse breaking." The conversation went smoothly after that and Hermione found herself actually enjoying her friends' company, even Fleur's, when she wasn't being her icy self.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Thank you so much everyone for taking time out of your lives to read my story! I truly do appreciate it especially since this is my first Fleurmione fic and I'm glad so many are enjoying it! Thanks so much for all the reviews and I really am sorry I don't thank you all individually, but I always forget to go back and see who has. So forgive me, but know I really do enjoy all of your feedback and suggestions :D**

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Chapter 4: Partly Cloudy

"Well, that was swimmingly." Luna sighed as they sat in the records office of the Beast Division sorting and categorizing files in the Werewolf Registry, typical intern work. "Did Hermione enjoy herself?"

"It was a lot better than I anticipated." Hermione mumbled as she sifted through a few papers on top of a filing cabinet. "Jade seems quite taken with you." A dreamy smile spread on the blonde's lips as she shrugged.

"You and Fleur got on well." The brunette sighed, it seemed Jade and Luna were going to team up on getting her to speak with Fleur, which she admitted, did need to happen, but she was still nervous. There was so much that hadn't been said and that needed to be explained, but Hermione wasn't sure she wanted to know exactly what Fleur had gone through that would make her close off all of her friends.

"She's not unbearable." The older witch answered huffily as she turned her attention back to her work. "Still as guarded as ever though."

"Well, she's been hurt, Hermione." Luna's voice was very soft as she spoke and when Hermione looked up to see pale blue eyes looking calmly at her, she sighed. "You both have, you really should speak to her about it. I think it would give both do you some well needed closure." Brown eyes rolled as she shifted through a paper and saw an image of someone that caught her eye. "Or possibly a new opening to start anew."

"Luna, look at this!" Hermione waved the blonde over who walked over and looked over her friend's shoulder. "Is that Jade?"

"I believe it is." The younger girl mused as she looked at the moving picture of the auror. "She looks rather dashing, don't you think?"

"You're not at all surprised by this are you?" Luna shook her head as she smiled at Hermione and went back to her work. "Why aren't you?"

"Well, she's got this very earthy smell…like a forest." The blonde witch pondered as she tapped her chin thinking about the older woman. "And you said that in the club her eyes were glowing, so it all sort of makes sense. Does it surprise Hermione?"

"A little, but I guess it would make sense at why she's so skilled at being an auror." She thought for a moment and noticed that Jade, unlike the late Remus Lupin, had no scars or sickly appearance. She actually looked healthier and stronger than any werewolf she'd ever seen. "Do you think she'd be offended if I asked about it?"

"She doesn't seem like the sort to be bothered by something so insignificant as that." Luna filed her pile of papers and ran a hand through her golden hair. "I'm sure she wouldn't mind." They worked a few more moments in silence as Hermione finally finished her filing around four in the afternoon and rubbed her eyes gently from the strain of reading for three straight hours.

"Luna," Hermione broke the silence finally as they were about to walk out of the registry office. "You're very perceptive, something I've envied you for, for the past few years." The blonde looked at her questioningly as they walked down the hall back to their work area. "Do you think…do you think Fleur actually cares about me?"

"It's not like Hermione to doubt herself." Luna teased as reached their desks and Hermione sat down with a huff. "Do you truly think she doesn't?" The brunette had really never thought about it until Luna asked. Her brow furrowed in thought as she remembered the exact moment she began feeling for Fleur as more than a friend. She's always had this 'crush' on Fleur, not like the boys did, but definitely something more than friendly admiration. It was sometime after her fifth year while they were recovering from the ordeal at the Ministry. The Veela had been unnaturally caring and then she exuded that even more when she took care of Hermione after escaping Malfoy Manor. That's when she really started to fall for her. It had been Fleur taking care of her exclusively for a long time and that much time spent with one person, especially a crush, is bound to spur feelings. Hermione sighed heavily as she ran a hand through her curls and groaned. "It's clear that Fleur cares for you, almost as clear as it is that you care for her. Interesting that you two are the only ones who don't see it."

x—x

Jade sighed heavily as she and Harry finished training, the young man huffing slightly from defending from her attack.

"I'm pretty impressed, Potter." She said as she brushed a lock of hair away from her face. "You did a lot better than I was expecting."

"Well," The dark haired man sighed as he stood up and rubbed the back of his neck. "I feel pretty good knowing I can stand against your attacks."

"Oh," Jade smirked as she slapped Harry on the shoulder and he faltered a bit. "Harry, I wasn't even going full strength." His face dropped as his eyes widened slightly and he hung his head. "Don't worry, I've never gone full on anyone because I haven't encountered an enemy I've had to work that hard to defeat. So that means you did pretty well."

"Thanks." Harry gave the woman a lopsided grin as they walked out of the training area a floor above the Department. "So, how did you become an Auror?" Jade folded her hands behind her head and looked up at the floating lights down the corridor as they walked towards the elevators.

"That's a good question," She said softly as she raised her eyebrows and thought back on when she first became a dark wizard hunter. "Well, I guess it started when I became a bounty hunter when I was seventeen."

"You were a bounty hunter?" The man's voice was a little high as they entered the elevator and Jade chuckled as she pulled the lever to take them to the lobby, lifting her hand up to grab the handle as they jolted back and fell down. "How did that happen?"

"I kind of had a rough past." Jade muttered as she shoved her hand in pants pocket. "I needed money so I took my skills and put them to use. Did it for three years before being 'scouted' per se, by the American Ministry. From there I became and auror, got transferred here after the war to help rope in the stragglers from Voldemort's forces and here I am. Quite the story, hm?"

"Yeah," Harry blinked a few times as the elevator stopped and opened at the floor where the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. "Oh, Jade, I think you pulled the lever to the wrong floor." Blue eyes glanced up to see Hermione and Luna staring back at them with a bit of surprise.

"Oh, it seems I did." The lycan replied with a knowing smirk. She ran a hand through her hair before glancing at the younger blonde and smiling. "Good afternoon, ladies. Going down are we?"

"Yes," Hermione answered as she tucked a curl behind her ear and Luna smiled warmly at Jade who stepped to the side to let the women enter. "How was training, Harry?"

"Rough," He sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck and Jade chuckled softly as Luna stood next to her and pulled the lever for the correct floor. "Jade is a bit demanding."

"Jade is training you?" The brunette questioned as the elevator lurched and they shot backwards. "I thought you were supposed to be with Mr. Dawlish?" Harry sighed as he glanced forward to see Jade whispering something to his blonde friend next to her.

"I was, but his wife went into labor this morning." Her friend answered as a tired smile spread on his face and he adjusted his glasses. "So Jade took over, I think I'll benefit more from her training, if I survive that is."

"You'll make it, Potter." Jade jeered as the elevator stopped and the cage slid open. The four walked out and as Hermione walked with Harry behind Jade and Luna, she saw the figment that had been plaguing her mind most of the day. "Hello, Fleur, fancy seeing you here."

"You sounded 'orribly British just then." The Veela teased as a small smile spread on her lips and she brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. "'Ello 'Arry, Luna, 'Ermione."

"Did we have plans this evening, Fleur?" The lycan asked as she scratched her head and pondered her plans. "I don't recall…"

"Actually," Fleur intervened as shook her head and glanced over at Hermione who flinched slightly. "I came 'ere to ask 'Ermione to dine with me." A smirk spread on Jade's lips as Hermione's eyes widened and they all turned to look at her besides Jade. "If she'd like, that is."

"Uhm…" The brunette stuttered as she felt her cheeks burn and she began twirling a strand of hair around her fingers nervously. "S-sure, Fleur, that'd be lovely." She glanced over at Luna who was giving her an encouraging smile.

"Well, Potter," The raven haired Auror grinned as she watched Hermione blush and Fleur looked at her before nodding her head towards the brunette. "Since Hermione and Fleur are preoccupied tonight, would you and Ginny like to join Luna and I for dinner at Bistro?"

"Sure, just let me send my patronus to Gin real quick." With a flick of his wrist, his stag appeared and turned into a white orb, flying off through the walls. Jade glanced back at Hermione standing a bit awkwardly next to Fleur. The lycan, ever bold, reached out and gently grabbed Luna's hand before nodding to Harry as they headed towards the exit.

"You two ladies have a lovely dinner." She said politely as she bowed her head at her friend and winked. "I'll see you later, Fleur."

x—x

The walk to the quaint restaurant a few blocks away was filled with slightly awkward silence, mainly from Hermione's point of view since Fleur seemed her normal, confident self. Hermione was running through different scenarios that the night could go and hoped to the benevolent gods above that it wouldn't turn into an argument as so many of their previous conversations, no matter how scarce, turned out.

"You're very quiet this evening, ma belle," Fleur said gently as they rounded a corner and the restaurant came into view. "Is there something on your mind?"

"Well," Hermione muttered as she continued to wring her hands together and gnaw on her bottom lip. Regardless of her normally stern attitude with the blonde, Hermione was still nervous in close proximity. "Fleur, I…I was just wondering why you decided to ask me out to dinner is all. I mean, we haven't really talked much lately."

"That's the main reason why I asked you out tonight." The blonde opened the door for Hermione. The restaurant wasn't anything extravagant, but it was cozy and not very busy which would bode well for their conversation. "I 'ave a reservation for two under Delacour." Fleur said to the hostess who smiled before picking up a couple menus and walking towards the back left of the establishment. Hermione followed Fleur and the hostess who led them to a small booth. As they sat and the hostess took her leave, it didn't take long for their server to arrive and take their drink orders. After they were alone, Fleur sighed and folded her hands on the table. "'Ermione, I 'ave some apologizing to do, for everything." Hermione was surprised as Fleur's blue eyes were looking down at her hands and fidgeting. It made the brunette feel better knowing that the Veela was nervous as well. "I 'adn't really planned on what 'appened between us when you arrived at Shell Cottage, but I need you to know that I don't regret it."

"Fleur…" Hermione started, but the blonde shook her head and held up her hand, effectively silencing the younger witch.

"Please, 'Ermione," The Veela continued as the waitress brought over their drinks. "Just let me get this all out before I lose my nerve." She took a deep breath and a sip from her wine before looking back into still, slightly wide brown orbs. "I…care deeply for you, ma belle, I know my…absence over the last two years 'asn't really 'elped bring us closer. but I assure you, it was necessary. Bill didn't exactly take the divorce with grace, 'e was rather…irritable."

"I can't imagine anyone taking it well, losing you I mean." Fleur blushed slightly at the complement as Hermione took a drink of her water. "I just…don't really understand why you had disappear like that. I know how the Weasleys can be, I went through the same thing when I broke up with Ronald," The blonde frowned slightly at the name as she nodded her head and glanced at the menu in front of her. "But you didn't need to close yourself off like that. We needed time to get used to everything, sure, but not two years." Fleur sighed heavily as the waitress returned to take their orders and then left again. She didn't quite know how she was going to explain things to Hermione when she'd really only ever told Jade what really happened through, and after her divorce with Bill Weasley. "It hurt when I didn't hear from you after the war."

"I am sorry, 'Ermione," The blonde sighed heavily as she ran a hand through the loose waves that were the result of her trying to curl her silvery locks. "I was afraid of 'ow everyone would react." Deciding to be bold, Fleur reached over and gently (barely) laid her hand on top of Hermione's to try and convey her apology. "I was…I was afraid of what I 'ad felt for you, honestly."

"I'm glad I'm not the only one." Hermione mused as she reveled in the cool softness of the Veela's hand on hers. "I've never really been attracted to…" The brunette blushed a bit as she bit her bottom lip and looked down at Fleur's hand still on top of hers.

"To women?" The Veela chuckled softly as she drew her hand away as the waitress made her way over with their food. "It's all right, 'Ermione, I never thought I'd be attracted to you after I learned 'ow much you and Ginny reviled me." Hermione blushed even more at that comment and cleared her throat before poking at the pasta on her plate. "Don't worry, chere, I don't blame you back in those days."

"You were quite insufferable." They both laughed lightly as Fleur nodded in agreement and finally felt herself start to relax as the conversation flowed smoothly after that. After they finished their meals, Hermione finally plucked up enough courage to ask what had been plaguing her mind most of the meal. "Fleur," The brunette said tentatively as their plates were taken away and she ordered a glass of wine. "What is your relationship with Jade?" The blonde looked up in surprise as Hermione averted her gaze. Fleur sighed heavily before running her hand through her hair in apprehension.

"Jade is my best friend, 'Ermione."

"She just…" Hermione tried to choose her words carefully lest she offend the Veela somehow. "She seems very close to you is all, closer than just friends."

"Jade is very smitten with Luna." Fleur tried to avoid the subject of the manner behind her and Jade's relationship. She just didn't think that now was the time to tell Hermione they were a little more than just friends since she was trying to mend her current relationship with the brunette. "Please, she very much pushed me to speak with you after I told 'er about you."

"What did you tell her?"

"About Shell Cottage and what you and your friends 'ad gone through." The blue in Fleur's eyes darkened slightly as she glanced down at the red wine in her glass and sighed, thinking back on the horrid times they had lived through. "That I 'ad been married and then you showed up on my doorstep 'alf dead. That I cared for you and in a very short time 'ad come to care for you. I honestly don't know 'ow it 'appened so fast."

"I was there for almost two months Fleur," The brunette replied a she sipped her drink and sighed. "It wasn't exactly a long time, but long enough."

"Not when you thought you'd already married the love of your life." Fleur exhaled a sardonic snort as shook her head and closed her eyes. "And you thought you were in love with Ronald, those feelings shouldn't 'ave 'ad room to grow between us."

"But they did, Fleur." Brown eyes were stern as they found blue looking rather apprehensive. The first time she'd seen the blonde like this was when Hermione needed to be undressed and bathed after showing up at Shell Cottage. She'd also never seen Fleur blush as much as she had then, even in her weak, exhausted state, she could see the dark red that had dusted Fleur's cheeks. Hermione giggled softly thinking back on the memory and the blonde quirked an eyebrow at her curiously. "And that means something, at least to me."

"It meant something to me too," Fleur reached back over and grabbed the younger witch's hand once more. "But…even though we 'adn't discussed things after you left, I thought that maybe…" The blonde paused slightly thinking back on the day that Hermione had left transformed into Bellatrix Lestrange and there was a horrible tug in her chest. She hadn't even gotten to tell Hermione how she felt. "I thought we'd 'ave more time before you left."

"We have time now, Fleur," The brunette sighed softly before giving the Veela a small smile. "A lot of time." Hermione maneuvered her hand up, gently dragging her nails along Fleur's palm before lightly (barely) lacing their fingers together, keeping a slight space between their palms.

"Oui," The blonde sighed happily at feeling the warmth from Hermione's hand. "We finally 'ave time."

x—x

Jade sighed softly as she and Luna walked down the streets of London towards Grimmauld Place with Harry and Ginny leading the way. Or, more so, Harry leading Ginny since she had had a few drinks at the restaurant. Luna giggled as she watched her the man hold her friend's arm over his shoulders as she wobbled back and forth, making incoherent conversations that Harry, always being the gentleman, proceeded to reply to.

"They sure make quite the couple." Jade smiled as she glanced down to see Luna with her hands cupped around her mouth and exhaling slowly. "Where are you gloves, Luna?" The blonde looked up with baby blue eyes and smiled.

"I must've forgotten them at work." She said softly as she tried once again to warm her hands with the hot breath she was exhaling. "I tend to do that a bit, you see. Hermione often reprimands me for it, says my mind is always elsewhere than where it should be when I'm not working."

"I don't think one's mind is ever where it shouldn't be." The lycan answered with a soft tone as she stopped and gently grabbed the younger witch's hands between her own. "Things happen for a reason, so maybe you forgetting your gloves was a good excuse for me to hold your hands." A soft blush rose in the Luna's cheeks as she allowed Jade to lift her hands up close to her lips, huddled by the lycan's own warm hands, and the Auror released a slow, heavy puff of breath on Luna's cold hands. The blonde tried to hide herself behind her fluffy white scarf as she averted her eyes to the light dusting of snow on the sidewalk. "Better?"

"Much," Luna whispered as she nodded her head as Jade lowered the girl's hands, but kept one firmly grasped in hers as they continued to walk. "You're very warm for having so little protection from the weather." Light blue eyes looked at Jade's heavy leather coat and thin, navy blue scarf wrapped loosely around her neck.

"I have a very high core temperature."

"Is that because of your heritage?" She asked quietly as she glanced up to see Jade smirk and nodded her head. "I'm sorry if I wasn't supposed to know, but Hermione and I came across your werewolf registry in the Ministry and…"

"Luna," Jade chuckled softly as she looked down at the shorter girl next to her. "It's all right, but I'm not a werewolf, you Ministry just didn't have the correct paper work to file me under so I had to fill out the next best thing."

"So, what does that mean?"

"I'm a lycan, Luna," The blonde's eyes widened as her head whipped around to look back into bright blue eyes that began to glow with the lack of sunlight. "Similar to a werewolf, but with several differences. Surprisingly, you don't have many living here in Britain."

"We'd never learned much about them in school." Luna muttered to herself as Harry turned a corner and she followed blindly. "But I have read about them in books at the library at Hogwarts. Do you not change under the full moon?" Her eyes looked up to see the full moon half hidden by a thin wisp of grey clouds. Jade shook her head as they neared Grimmauld Place and Luna chuckled as she watched Harry have a rather hard time keeping Ginny in one spot while he summoned the house to appear.

"It's…irritating sometimes." The lycan answered as she rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand. "Especially if I haven't shifted within a month, but other than that, it's more of a 'when necessary' sort of thing. I rather like being my human self."

"I'd like to see you shift someday." The shorter girl whispered as they buildings began to move and shift to allow Grimmauld Place to appear. "Perhaps you could show me someday? I have an infinite desire to see as many magical creatures as I can in my lifetime."

"Of course, Luna." Jade smiled as she watched Harry and Ginny walk through the front door. "I haven't really met anyone here who knows, or is interested in seeing me shift. So I'd be glad to show you." They walked up the steps to the door and paused as Luna averted her gaze to the ground and began to dig her toe into the cement.

"Would you like to come in for some tea?" Luna's voice was barely a whisper and if Jade didn't have enhanced hearing, she might not have caught it. "Before you go home at least."

"I'd love to." She let Luna's hand slip from hers as the blonde opened the door and walked in with Jade in tow. The house was warmly lit and Jade looked around curiously as Luna led her to the den where Harry already had a fire roaring. Ginny was sitting in a leather arm chair sipping on a glass of water as the blonde told Jade to sit on the sofa while she made tea.

"So," Harry groaned as he sat down next to her and sighed heavily, folding his hands behind the back of his head. "How do you think Fleur and Hermione's date went?"

"I'm hoping without argument." The Auror answered as she ran her fingers through her thick locks and smirking. "It's almost exhausting trying to get Fleur to pursue Hermione." That's when her blue eyes glanced over at the young man next to her. "Do you know anything about their history?" Harry nodded as he scratched his head and chuckled.

"We all did, 'cept Bill and the other Weasleys besides Ron, that is." He shook his head slightly and leaned back against the couch cushions. "Poor Ron, thought he had to make a move on her then and there, so that's what he did. Don't rightly know if Hermione actually had those feelings for him, but you know, wars seem to bring out irrational decisions in the most rational people." Jade nodded as Luna came back with a tray of four tea cups and a kettle of sweet smelling tea.

"It's chamomile," The blonde said dreamily as she set the tray down and began pouring the tea into cups. "Best kind right before bed in my opinion." After the tea was poured, Luna sat down next to Jade and inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of her tea.

"My favorite." Jade mused as she sighed contentedly and sipped on her tea. Ginny had long since dozed off as the three others began chatting idly about work and even asking Jade various questions about her lineage as well as life in America. A half hour had passed as the grandfather clock in the den signaled the hour. "Nine already? I wonder where our lovely Miss Granger is." As if waiting for her cute to enter, the front door opened and closed and Hermione's voice rang through the warmed house.

"I'm home!" She called as she stripped off her coat, boots, and scarf and left them all by the front door.

"We're in the den, 'Mione." Harry replied as he finished his second cup of tea and felt himself starting to get a little sleepy. The best thing about being a wizard, you could go out almost every night of the week and still get to work in the morning as long as you had a hangover draught and a pepper up potion. He smiled to himself as he looked up and saw his best friend enter the room with a look of surprise when she spotted Jade with her arm draped lazily over Luna's shoulders.

"Welcome back, Granger." The lycan greeted with a lopsided grin as she waved the hand nonchalantly that was over Luna's shoulders. "How did your date go?"

"I wouldn't so much call it a date as a…conversation over dinner."

"Well," The Auror rubbed her forehead with her free hand and sighed. "That sure does sound boring. Did it go well at least? Fleur didn't try to wallow in self-pity now, did she?"

"She tried," Hermione answered with a sight as she sat down in the other armchair and Harry got up, mentioning something about grabbing an extra cup for the brunette. "But, we at least talked about things a bit and agreed we would start out as friends, then let things progress from there." Jade glanced down at Luna who was leaning slightly on her shoulder and shrugged while Harry returned and poured a cup of tea for Hermione.

"At least it's progress." Luna chimed in softly as she smiled warmly at the brunette who nodded and sipped on her tea. "I think it's hard for Fleur, after everything we've all been through, to forgive herself for what she saw as infidelity. Despite that it was just a kiss, in her mind, I think all she can focus on is that she hurt two people, possibly more, that were very dear to her. All that's left over after these three years is guilt now."

"You've got half of it." Jade smiled as she nodded and glanced over at the brunette who looked like she was thinking a bit too hard. "One piece of advice I'll give you about Fleur, Hermione, is that she can't be pushed. She's literally like a bird. If you try and cage her, corner her, she'll fly away because that's what she's used to. If you ask her about something and she doesn't want to talk about it, give her time, she will tell you eventually. There's a lot that went on in that year after the war that not many, besides Bill Weasley and myself know about. And I'm sure he's warped the story to make him look like that victim."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked as she leaned forward to get in more on the conversation. "I thought it was irreconcilable differences? Mutual on both sides?" Jade sighed heavily before shaking her head, removing her arm from Luna's shoulders and reaching out to pour herself another cup.

"I'm not really at liberty to say anymore." Bright blue eyes darkened slightly as she stirred a bit of honey into her tea. "This is something Fleur needs to tell you if you want to know. It's her past and not mine." She gave everyone a soft smile as she tensed when she heard the front door open and close again, two new sets of heavy footsteps entering.

"Oi, oi!" A voice called and Jade's eyes narrowed slightly at the scents that were filling her nose. "Anyone home?"

"Ron?" Harry asked as he stood up and went to the foyer of the house. "What are you doing here?" The red headed man smiled and flung an arm around Harry's shoulders before walking back towards the den.

"Well, ya see," Ron started in a rather cheery tone. "Bill's left some docs here that he needs to pick up to take to the new Order's headquarters at the Ministry. So we thought we'd stop by and visit everyone. Haven't really seen much of all of you besides going out at night and…" Ron spotted Jade and at that moment, Bill walked in behind Harry and narrowed his pale blue eyes. Jade, never one to start a confrontation, relaxed her brow and smiled exaggeratedly at the two Weasleys.

"Howdy, boys." She waved her hand once and noticed Bill's scowl. "Long time no see, Bill."

"For good reason," The man hissed as he clenched his jaw and stepped between Harry and Ron towards the sofa. He pointed his hand at Jade who just closed her eyes and sighed. "What is she doing here?" Everyone could feel the tension in the room, yet no one really wanted to speak, or breathe first.

"She's here with me." Luna said finally as she looked up at Bill with her never wavering dream like gaze. "Is she not allowed to spend time with her friends?"

"Friends?" Bill spat as he shook his head and balled his hands into tight fists. "You're all associated with this woman?" He looked around at Harry and Hermione who just nodded dumbly, not really sure what was transpiring in front of them. "She's got her claws deep into all of you as well, does she? I assume you don't all rightly know what she's done to me?"

"I've done nothing to you, William." Jade said calmly a she stood and squared off with him, smoothing out her shirt and brushing her hair over her shoulder. "Fleur told me you were delusional," At the mention of the Veela's name, Bill's eyes widened significantly and Hermione thought she heard a raspy growl vibrate in his throat. "But I never thought you'd act like this. Honestly, I've only ever met you once for about five minutes."

"Let's just go find those documents and…" Harry tried to pull Bill away towards the room that had held all the paperwork and files, but the man wouldn't budge. "Come on, Bill. Not in my house, ok?" Jade could see the ordeal wasn't going to diffuse itself, so with a sigh and a charming smile down at Luna, she held her hands up in surrender.

"I think I should take off," She muttered as she closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm the adrenaline that was slowly rising in her body. "I wouldn't want anything to happen while in your home, Potter." Luna stood and Harry pulled Ron out of the way so the two could get to the front door.

"I'll see you to the door." The blonde said softly as she led the way to the foyer.

"It was nice to see you all again, I hope we could meet for tea some other time with better company." Jade continued calmly as she walked past Bill. "Have a good night, won't you, Bill?" They locked gazes for a moment, Jade's bright eyes glowing dimly, daring the red head to make a move as she passed. She thought, for a moment, that maybe Bill would hold his tongue as the distance between them grew, but apparently their stare down was all it took to set him off.

"Going to keep her warm are you?" He growled as he spun to look at Jade's retreating form. "That whore couldn't find a right bloke to satisfy her so she's got you on the side? Is that it? At her every beck and call like the dog you are?" Jade stopped and gritted her teeth, willing herself to control her temper as Luna turned to look over her shoulder. "You know this one will hurt you, don't you Luna? She's just Fleur's puppet, that greedy bitch." No one in the house saw Jade move, but the end result was very obvious. There was a sharp gasp from Bill as Jade grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and slammed him hard against the wall to the point where the wood began to split. Ron was on Jade immediately, trying to pry her hold off of his brother to no avail.

"How dare you talk about Fleur that way!" Jade growled, her voice dangerously low and venom seeping from her words. "After what you put her through! You dare suggest that _she _was the one who hurt _you_!" For good measure, Jade slammed Bill harder into the wall and it cracked under his weight. "I'd better not hear another _word _of negativity from you, _ever _Bill Weasley, or maybe my hand slips while I'm filing and I let your family know what really happened between you and Feur." With that said, Jade pushed him one last time into the wall and spun on her heel towards the door. Luna was still waiting patiently waiting by the door. Jade walked past the blonde while grabbing her coat and pulling the door open. The blonde sighed and followed as she shut the door behind her and saw Jade, coat still on her arm, breathing slowly with her eyes closed. "Forgive me, Luna." She said softly as she turned and smiled sadly at the blonde a couple steps above her. "I lost my temper."

"It's understandable," The younger witch sighed as she tucked a few loose locks of hair behind her ear. "I didn't really like the way he was talking about Fleur either, but I don't really have the strength to argue with him. I'm just glad someone told him off." Jade chuckled as she moved up one stair and was eye to eye with the blonde. She saw the girl shiver and gently draped her leather coat over her shoulders.

"You'll catch your death out here." She snugged the coat over the younger girl and smiled. "I hope you don't see me as just a crazed animal now." Luna giggled softly and pulled the coat around her, taking in the soft, subtle scent of Jade that lingered in the lining.

"Of course not." Luna smiled as she lifted a hand and let her finger tips lightly brush down Jade's cheek. "You were just defending a dear friend, I wouldn't hold that against you." A small smile graced the lycan's lips as she leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on Luna's cheek. The blonde's breath hitched softly as her eyes widened and she blushed as Jade pulled away.

"I hope you can salvage the rest of your evening, Luna."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: So everyone, I'm having some issues with my alerts, so I'm very sorry if I don't take note of your follows or reviews and whatnot because they aren't alerting me! Does anyone else have this issue? Anyways, I'm very sorry, but I do appreciate all your feedback and support :D Here's chapter 5 and for all my older followers, I AM working on a chapter for Something to Remember, so don't give up on me yet! **

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Chapter 5: Fog

After Bill and Ron had left, rather reluctantly, Harry groaned before flopping back down on the couch next to Luna. It was near eleven o'clock and Hermione was thinking about what Bill had said to Jade and how the woman had reacted. She'd always seen Jade be calm and collected, playful even, but the anger and menacing glow in her blue eyes showed another side of the Auror she never thought existed. More so, she was worried if Fleur had told her the truth about the 'friendship' she had with the older woman for her to act in such a manner. Sure, if someone had jilted Harry or Ginny and came in talking horribly about them, she would defend them as well, but there was something else with Fleur and Jade.

"That was surprising." Harry sighed as he ruffled his hair and glanced at the blonde next to him and then to Hermione. "So, who else is curious about what happened with Fleur and Bill?"

"Well," Luna shook her head and poured herself another cup of tea that Hermione had made before the boys had left. "I definitely think we don't know the whole story, that's for sure." Hermione nodded quietly as she rubbed her chin and thought about what Ron had told her when they were together.

"Ron said that Fleur felt she was too good for Bill, but didn't want anyone else to know." She said softly as she ruffled her hair and groaned. "But, I don't think that's the truth. She seemed like that when she was a teenager, but after she took care of me at Shell Cottage, I can't see that being the real reason."

"Bill told me that she had cheated on him." Hermione tensed slightly and glanced up at Harry who glanced up at her. "Did he mean when she kissed you?"

"I don't know." She answered and groaned before holding her head in her hands. "I wouldn't think so, but it could be. I think it's odd that he changed his story, unless both things happened."

"Bill has changed a lot since he was attacked by Greyback," The blonde added airily as she stirred her tea and hummed. "And you know that lycanthropy can be passed through a mere scratch. Perhaps the wolf is making him irritable and possessive." It was true, ever since Bill had been attacked, slowly but surely, his attitude had changed from being a caring, kind man to a more excitable and angry human. This was normal for most people who were infected with lycanthropy, but Hermione had never seen Bill be so cruel, especially to someone he claimed to have loved. "I don't blame Jade for acting the way she did."

"Neither to do I." Harry sighed as she stood up and stretched, making his way over to his sleeping fiancé. "Well, I think it's about time I take Gin up to bed, she's gonna flip when she finds out that Ron and Bill were here and she was passed out drunk." Luna giggled as he lifted the red head up bridal style and headed towards the stairs. "I'll see you ladies in the morning."

"Good night, Harry." The two girls called in unison as he made his way up the creaky stairs. "Hey, Luna?" The blonde glanced at her friend as she picked up the tray to take it into the kitchen.

"Do you think Jade and Fleur have a normal friendship?" Her voice was a bit quiet as she averted her gaze to the ground and Luna paused to think on the question. "I mean, Fleur claimed they were best friends, but doesn't it seem like it's more than that?"

"They are very close." The younger witch answered as she looked up and then back down at Hermione. "That's something you'd have to ask Fleur more and perhaps I should ask Jade. We haven't really been exclusive, so I guess in my opinion, she can be with whomever she wants until we set the terms of our relationship. What are yours and Fleurs?" Hermione thought for a moment and realized they hadn't really set terms, so in all reality, she was in the same spot as Luna. Besides the fact that Jade seemed much more open with the blonde than Fleur did with her. "I really have never seen Hermione so self-conscious before."

"Fleur and I just have a bit of history."

"The past is never something to dwell on." Luna said finally as she walked into the kitchen and set the tea pot and cups into the sink. "Although, I do remember in school that history was Hermione's favorite subject."

x-x

Fleur woke up, back in Shell Cottage, the sun drifting through the window as she sat up and frowned. It was the same dream. Over and over and she didn't know how to stop it. So, knowing what to do, she swung her legs over the side of her bed, empty like it always was. There was no Bill, no Harry, Ron, Luna, or Dean or Griphook or Ollivander. The house was empty besides her and another she knew was in the room down the hall. She was dressed in her every day clothes, jeans and a jumper as she looked down the hall and waited.

"Three..two…" Fleur counted to herself as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "One." There was a high pitched, terrified scream that echoed off the walls and sent a shiver down her spine. Her blue eyes fell on the door where the scream came from and her feet started to move slowly towards it. She took a deep breath and put her hand on the door knob to see the darkness. The blinds were drawn shut so the room looked like it was midnight instead of morning. Fleur heard the whimpers from the corner of the room and saw the empty bed, sheets and pillows scattered on the floor. She pulled out her wand and whispered 'lumos' and saw the small, battered body huddled in the back of the room.

"P-please…" A frail, tortured voice whispered as Fleur's heart broke to see the girl trembling. "S-s-stay back!"

"'Ermione," She whispered as she moved forward slowly, her hands in front of her in surrender to show the girl she wasn't a threat. "It's me, you know me." Her voice was low and soft, almost a breath with each word so the brunette could realize she wasn't going to hurt her. "You are safe now, ma belle." Fleur never knew why this dream (memory) would replay or why should could control herself, but she had this dream at least once every couple of weeks as if to remind her of what happened. Dream Hermione just continued to try and merge with the wall to get away from the advancing Veela. "It's ok, I promise you." Fleur made it down to her knees in front of Hermione and reached out to gently put her hand on the younger witch's shoulder. As soon as she touched the girl, the brunette flinched and burst into flames.

Fleur sat up in a cold sweat in her room, the grey sunlight trickling in through her window. She sighed heavily, slumping forward with her head in her hands and wiping her forehead. She never understood why Hermione would always catch fire at her touch, but it was quite disturbing to watch the woman she loved burn in front of her. She groaned as she finally regained her composure and checked her alarm clock. Fleur hated Thursdays, this Thursday in particular because she had to go to Ireland to investigate some ancient Saxon ruins. She wasn't sure yet who she'd be paired with, but it really didn't matter to her since she, for some reason was always stuck doing most of the work. Another groan left her throat as her thoughts wandered to the brunette. She hadn't heard from her since their dinner three days ago and wondered if maybe something had turned the girl away. A soft ache began to resonate in her chest as the idea flashed in her mind and she eagerly shook it away. No, they had agreed to take it slow, to use the time they had and mend their relationship. Hermione just needed time. Just time. Fleur showered and dressed before making something quick for breakfast. As she sat at her kitchen table and sipped her coffee, a large, brown owl tapped at her window and she recognized it as one of the Gringott's owls. She rose and opened the window, letting in the drafty breeze before retrieving the scroll neatly attached to the owls leg and letting him fly back out into the dreary morning. Her fingers unrolled the parchment and as her eyes scanned over it, she gasped sharply and curse.

"Merde!" She hissed as she crushed the paper in her hand and set her mug down by the sink before running (sprinting) towards the door, hastily grabbing her cloak on the way out.

x—x

Hermione was on her way to the Ministry, keeping her eyes trained on the slushy sidewalk as she did so. She hadn't talked to Fleur in a few days and wasn't sure who it fell upon to contact one another first. The younger witch groaned and shook her head.

"We're both adults." Hermione muttered as she looked up and saw the Ministry entrance. "I shouldn't wait for her to get ahold of me, if I want to talk to her I should take the initiative." Although Hermione was a former Gryffindor known for their bravery, Fleur still made her nervous. What was the big deal to send an owl? She sighed heavily as she neared the building and saw Luna sitting with Jade on the front steps, steaming cups in their hands. Brown eyes watched for a moment as she paused and surveyed her friend with the older woman. Hermione was still a bit unsure of the Auror, mainly due to the fact that she seemed so close to the woman she had had a crush on for so many years. But she had to admit, Luna and Jade complemented each other well and she seemed sincere enough. Looking at the two was like looking at night and day. Jade's ink black hair to her friend's pale blonde, even their eyes exuded their contrast as Luna's were such a blue that matched the sky on a cloudless summer day and the Auror's were the deep blue that makes its way into the sky as the sun sinks below the horizon. She envied them slightly. Their relationship seemed to be progressing so easily compared to her and Fleur's.

"Good morning, Granger." Jade greeted when the lycan caught sight of the brunette. "Lost in thought?" Hermione snapped out of her trance and offered a lopsided smile as Luna grinned at her. A gentle, yet chilling, breeze blew as Jade seemed to perk up and glanced to her right to stare down the sidewalk.

"Do you see something?" Luna asked as she followed the woman's gaze, as did Hermione.

"Fleur's coming," The Auror answered softly as she narrowed her eyes slightly and Hermione saw a figure moving (sprinting) towards them. "She seems rather distraught." Brown eyes flashed towards Jade who smirked and looked down at Hermione. That's when the heavy falls of Fleur's winter boots could be heard on the cold cement and the brunette noticed she was moving much faster than she thought.

"Jade!" Fleur called as she neared and almost skidded to a stop. Hermione wasn't used to seeing a disheveled goddess in front of her and swallowed as the Veela leaned over, hands on her knees, silvery blonde hair falling around her face and small puffs of steam escaping her panting lungs. Still, in this state, Hermione found the woman stunning. "I…we…Bill…"

"What about Bill?" Jade growled slightly as she hopped down the stairs and stood next to her friend as Luna casually made her way down to stand on the last step so she was level with Jade. "Did he do something to you?" Hermione saw a flash of neon in Jade's eyes and remembered the night that Ron and Bill had come to Grimmauld Place unannounced. There was obviously more than just bad blood between the two and she had decided to ask Fleur about it next time they talked, which was ironically now and even more ironically, Bill seemed to be the reason for the Veela's distressed state.

"I…I'm…"

"Fleur," Hermione whispered as her mind finally snapped back into focus. She stepped forward and gently put a hand on the woman's shoulder which seemed to startle her slightly as Fleur's head snapped up and icy blue met warm brown orbs. "Take a deep breath." The blonde obeyed, nodded and closed her eyes before inhaling deeply and exhaling equally slow. "Now, what's happened?" Jade raised her eyebrows a bit at the control the younger witch seemed to have on her friend and smirked to herself as she took a step back, letting Hermione handle the situation. She felt slim arms drape around her neck as she looked over to see Luna resting her chin on her left shoulder and a warmth fill her cheeks.

"I 'ave to go to Ireland today," Fleur started again as she calmed down and caught her breath. She stood up straight and closed her eyes to try and regain what was left of her composure. "To excavate and raid some Saxon ruins."

"Well, that doesn't sound too troublesome." Hermione said with a furrowed brow, confused as to why Fleur was so upset about this. It was her job to crawl through ruins and retrieve whatever gold she found for the bank. The blonde shook her head furiously and groaned.

"It's not the 'what' or 'where'," She continued as she opened her eyes and there was a hint of fear in them that Hermione wasn't prepared to see. "It's the ''oo'. Usually, they stick me with a random partner to go through the ruins with me, but…but today, they couldn't find anyone else to go with me…except for…" Her voice trailed off and icy blue darkened slightly as she averted her gaze to the ground.

"Bill." Jade finished as her eyes narrowed and Hermione blinked a few times before watching Fleur's reaction for a confirmation. A confirmation that was almost too damning. She'd never seen Fleur frightened before. Sure, they'd gone through a war together and she'd seen the blonde scared, terrified actually, but she'd always push through and come out strong. That's how Hermione had seen her, other than the Triwizard Tournament of course where the French woman had been quite impossible to be around. This was a side of Fleur, a vulnerable, frail, and breakable side that the younger witch had never seen. Not many things can frighten a Veela of any blood status, but of anything to frighten Fleur, it was a man, a man she once loved, no less. Hermione founder herself wrapping the blonde in her arms before she even knew her mind had made the decision. She felt muscles tense and breath hitch slightly in surprise as her arms wrapped tighter around the slim waist. It took a moment, a moment that Hermione almost thought her show of affection to be a mistake, until she felt her clandestine paramour gently return the embrace.

"I can't do this job." She whispered as Hermione rested her forehead against Fleur's shoulder. "I can't, not with 'im. The goblins said if I can't find a suitable partner, then I 'ave no choice but to go with 'im." What had he done to her? The thought was burning in Hermione's brain as she felt her jaw tighten and an oily, rough anger fill her stomach and seep into her chest.

"Hm…" The blue eyed Auror hummed as she tapped her chin in thought and looked up at the sky. "Granger, you're working in Law Enforcement today, correct? In the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office?" The brunette pulled away from Fleur to look at Jade with a confused gaze and nodded slowly. "Well then, I think you should be accompanying Fleur on her trip, to make sure there aren't any illegally bewitched items in those Saxon ruins. There's a number of artifacts that could be there, the Hammer of the Gods, curing stones, and magical amulets. You should go make sure there's nothing there." Hermione gawked at Jade as the lycan smirked and shrugged her shoulders. "Better safe than sorry, right? I think taking initiative shows promise in that line of work."

"But…" Fleur pulled away as well and looked at her friend with wide eyes. "What about Mr. Weasley?"

"Don't worry," The Auror said gently as she waved her hand dismissively and smiled. "I'm sure he'll understand, he owes me a favor anyway." She glanced at Fleur who seemed to have relaxed a bit, but neither girl seemed to notice they were still in each other's arms in front of the main entrance of the Ministry. "I just want my friend to be safe on her travels." She winked at Fleur who blushed slightly and checked her watch. "You'd better go make sure it's ok with the gobbies if you're going to take Hermione, though."

"Right!" The Veela snapped out of her trance and grabbed Hermione's hand. "Come, 'Ermione, we 'ave to get to Gringott's."

"Uhm…" Without being able to utter another word, Fleur snapped her fingers and they apparated on the spot. Jade chuckled as she combed her fingers through her dark hair before turning to smile at Luna who had a dreamy grin on her face.

"Is Jade going to get in trouble for letting Hermione leave like that?" The blonde asked as Jade turned so she was facing the younger witch. They were the same height with Luna on the last step and the lycan shrugged nonchalantly.

"Arthur likes me," She answered softly as she moved a hand up to brush a stray lock of platinum blonde hair away from the younger woman's face. "And he knows Hermione, I think he'll be all right. Don't be surprised if I have to stay late after work tonight, though."

"Will that alter our evening plans?" Luna looked a bit concerned as her eyebrows knitted together and Jade mused to herself how adorable the blonde looked when worried. The raven haired Auror shook her head and felt herself melt as a bright smile spread on Luna's face.

"I could get out at midnight and still want to see you." Jade mused softly as she felt the blonde's slim arms wrap around her neck and, in turn, she wrapped her arms around Luna's waist to pull her close.

"Jade always says the sweetest things," The blonde witch whispered as she touched her forehead to the Auror's gently. "Do you think we are moving too fast?"

"It's been almost a week." A smirk grew on Jade's lips as she shrugged again and held Luna tighter. "Is that too soon to be seeing each other so often? I mean, we do work in the same building, and Luna is always so eager to spend time with me." The blonde witch blushed slightly, but her expression didn't falter from her calm demeanor. "I think our pace is sufficient for a new relationship."

"So we're in a relationship?"

"I guess I could've been a bit more romantic at asking, hm?" Jade chuckled as Luna smiled and shook her head. Very slowly, the lycan moved forward and gently (barely), softly, pressed her lips against Luna's chilled ones. She heard the blonde's breath hitch as the body in her arms tensed for a millisecond before arms tightened around her neck and Luna leaned forward for a firmer kiss. "Does that make up for it?" The Auror's voice was a whisper as she opened her eyes and saw that the blonde's were still closed.

"I believe it does."

x—x

Hermione blinked a few times when she realized she was in Gringott's and looked up to see a new crystal chandelier to replace the one she and her two friends had destroyed while escaping on the back of a dragon. Her brown orbs glanced around as she felt Fleur, who was still holding her hand, pull her forward towards the front desk to speak to the goblins.

"Miss Delacour," The goblin at the front desk said coldly as Fleur stopped and released the brunette's hand. "To what do we owe the pleasure of you bringing Miss Granger here?" He sounded nice enough, but Hermione could tell he was rather displeased to see the young woman who had broken into their most protected vaults and then destroyed the lobby in their escape.

"I need to speak to Bogrod," The Veela answered as she opened her arm and gestured to Hermione. "Miss Granger will be accompanying me on my excavation today." The goblin raised an eyebrow at the blonde before sighing and stepping down from the desk, walking back towards the barred door behind him.

"Fleur," Hermione said finally as she glanced up at the Veela who blinked a few times and looked won at her, as if forgetting she was there. "Are you sure I'm capable to do this? I've never been to any tombs or ruins, and I was never especially talented at curse breaking."

"But you are very adept in the defense." Fleur countered as she smiled kindly at the witch. "I assure you, 'Ermione, it won't be as difficult as I'm sure your bright mind is making it out to be." The brunette flushed slightly as she nodded and a small goblin with rather long white hair trudged out with a very pronounced grimace on his face.

"So," He said loudly and his voice echoed off the stone marble floor, causing a few of his employees to flinch and work faster. "Have you found a suitable partner to accompany you on your tomb raiding?"

"Oui," The blonde witch said confidently as she straightened her shoulders (as if she needed to be any taller than the two foot goblin) and looked down at him. "'Ermione Granger 'as agreed to come with me so you won't 'ave to be summoning William Weasley." The goblin named Bogrod seemed to scowl more, as if he had wished ill will upon Fleur, which was probably the case since goblins seemed to find glee in making others miserable.

"I see," The goblin's beady black eyes examined Hermione and the witch suddenly felt very small compared to the short creature. "The muggle born who helped Harry Potter break into our bank and steal from our vaults." He hissed as he raised an eyebrow at her and scoffed. "I suppose she is suitable, since she broke into Gringott's, I imagine excavating some tombs will be easy work for her." Bogrod lifted his nose in the air and snorted as he turned and waved his abnormally long fingers at the girls. "I expect you both back tomorrow when we open, is that clear?" He turned then and glared at Fleur. "And if I hear of any mishaps, it'll be your paycheck, Delacour." Fleur waited until he returned to his office before rolling her eyes and turning back towards Hermione.

"That was the closest thing to a compliment I 'ave ever 'eard from that goblin." She said gently as she nodded her head to the left, motioning for the witch to follow her. "Bogrod is about as nasty as goblins come, it probably doesn't 'elp that 'e doesn't like me very much, but 'e seemed all right with you."

"He complimented me?" Hermione answered as she shook her head and followed the blonde back out into the chilled air. "Sounded more like an insult." There was a short pause as they walked down the street and in a direction Hermione was not familiar with. "Do you really think I'll do all right, Fleur?"

"If Bogrod thinks you will," Blue eyes glanced down with a bit of mirth and Hermione blushed. "Then I 'ave complete confidence in your ability." Again, the brunette turned a delightful shade of red and Fleur found herself grinning at her reaction as they turned down the street towards her loft.

"Where are we going anyways?"

"My loft." Fleur answered as her building came into view. "I 'ave some things that I would like to take with us. Potions, a 'eavier cloak, and per'aps a bit of food in case we get lost in the maze of tunnels."

"You've gotten lost before?" The brunette asked as they walked up the steps to the large brick building and Fleur unlocked the front door. "What do you do in that situation?"

"Well, that's when it 'elps to 'ave a partner." The Veela smiled as she opened the door and stepped aside so Hermione head in first. "After the first time I got lost with a new partner, I came up with this delightful spell to 'elp me. All I do is cast a binding spell to one a particular object at the entrance of the cave or tomb, then take a piece of that object. So, if I do find myself lost, I just squeeze what I took and it will show me the path out." Instead of taking the stairs today, the two women walked to the elevator and once inside, the blonde pushed the button for the top floor.

"Why don't you just apparate?" The elevator car jerked slightly before screeching upwards at a steady pace. Luckily, there was no one else that needed to go up on their way so their conversation wasn't interrupted. "I mean, wouldn't that be easier?"

"After being in a tomb for hours upon hours," The blonde continued as she glanced down to see Hermione looking up at her eagerly, waiting for her question to be answered. "Everything begins to look the same, sometimes I even forget what the entrance looks like so it's not always useful. Especially if there are curses on the tombs, they sort of keep you from successfully casting any form of advanced magic until they're dispelled." The elevator finally slowed to a halt and the stainless steel doors opened to a small corridor and the dark, cherry wood of Fleur's loft.

"You have the whole top floor?" Hermione asked as Fleur waved her hand and unlocked the deadbolt.

"I like privacy," She smiled as she opened the door and walked in with Hermione on her heels. "This way, I don't 'ave to keep quiet if I 'ave company over and I don't 'ave any nosy neighbors." Hermione nodded as she shut the door behind her and looked around in awe at the sheer size of Fleur's loft. It was completely open besides one hallway that she assumed led to the bedrooms and loo. "I'll only be a moment, ma belle." The brunette nodded again, still examining the space as Fleur chuckled and disappeared down the hallway. As Hermione explored, she noticed that the blonde had a very modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances that seemed to have a lot of muggle technology. While she was walking through, she noticed a photo on the refrigerator that caught her eye. It was a wizarding photo, in color and an eight by eleven print. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw herself, Fleur, Harry, Ron, and all the other survivors of the Battle at Hogwarts where Harry had defeated Voldemort. All standing in neat rows, thought their appearances were rather disheveled, but all smiling brightly, laughing even. Hermione frowned when she saw herself standing next to Fleur, Bill's arm tightly around the blonde's shoulders, while Ron had his arm around Hermione's waist. She watched as Fleur glanced down a few times at photo Hermione and a forlorn look flashed in her eyes before she snapped back and smiled a cheery smile at the camera.

"I wanted terribly to 'ug you at that moment." Fleur spoke softly, causing Hermione to jump and squeak out of surprise before she whipped around to see the Veela smiling gently at her, a knapsack over her left shoulder and a worn, dark leather cloak on her shoulders. "I want to celebrate with you, it 'ad been so long since I'd seen you smile like that." She moved silently to stand next to Hermione and stare at the picture, her photo self, smiling up at her. "After you came to Shell Cottage, I was afraid none of you would be 'appy again." A heavy sigh left her lungs and she blinked a few times and shook her head. "Forgive me, 'Ermione, I got lost in the past. We shouldn't dwell on such things now." Fleur reached around the brunette, brushing against the shorter witch's back to open the fridge and examining its contents. Hermione was frozen, feeling the taller woman's front applying such a pleasing pressure and she had to stop herself from leaning back into her. "Is there anything in particular you'd like to bring to snack on, 'Ermione?" Besides her H's, Fleur spoke almost perfect English, but every time she said Hermione's name, the brunette melted a little inside. She was happy that the Frenchwoman hadn't lost the bit of her accent that would cause her to pronounce her name correctly.

"Whatever you choose will be fine, I'm sure." Hermione whispered as Fleur nodded and reached forward again to grab a few bottles water and closed the fridge before walking over to the cupboard. There, she grabbed a couple 'cup o' noodles' and Hermione giggled at her choice. "Cup o' Noodles? Really? And here I thought the esteemed Fleur Isabelle Delacour had an 'all too high' taste in food?"

"One can't be picky in tombs, ma chere." Fleur mused as she shrugged and packed the noodles into her bag. "Besides, I wasn't _that _choosy with my food."

"Could've fooled me how you acted at Hogwarts." The brunette retorted playfully as she rolled her eyes and Fleur scoffed.

"That food was 'eavy." She argued. "It was like the 'Ouse Elves wanted us to gain weight. I still don't know 'ow you Eengleesh eat such food and you still 'ave your figures." She enunciated her accent mockingly that made Hermione giggle, a sound that made Fleur's heart flutter. Progress, they were making progress. Now that there weren't two Weasleys in the way, they could move forward from where they had left off before the war. The brunette looked up and was surprised to see a very affectionate gaze from those icy blue eyes.

"And yet you came back to this country." The younger witch murmured with a slighty, playful, roll of her eyes. "So you must've gotten used to the food."

"The food," Fleur counted on her fingers as she shrugged. "The weather, the people, the music…I got used to it all."

"The people aren't all bad." Hermione folded her arms over her chest, remembering how Fleur had mentioned how conservative and clumsy the 'Eengleesh' were when she arrived for the first time at Hogwarts. Fleur chuckled as she raised a hand and gently brushed her finger tips against the brunette's cheek, leaving trails of fire on Hermione's skin. She felt the blush rising in her cheeks as she averted her gaze to her feet and felt Fleur move closer.

"Non," The French woman purred as she moved her fingers up and tucked a curl behind Hermione's ear. "The people definitely aren't _all_ that bad."


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Well I'm pretty happy with how this story is progressing and I'm glad you all are enjoying it! Really! I was worried about writing a Fleurmione story because there's so much to work up to, and I'm used to shipping Jade/Hermione, so I'm really happy you readers are sticking with me. Appreciate all your reviews, monkgirl and DianaArty89 who've read all of my other stories I believe, Drenn and wanderlustleo for your awesome recent reviews! Again, I'll get to my typos :D**

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Chapter 6: Thunderstorms

The brunette's apparation to Ireland was one of the most enjoyable side-along apparations Hermione Granger had ever experienced in her four years of being able to apparate. Mainly due to the fact that instead of just a touch on the arm or holding hands, Fleur wrapped her arms around the brunette's waist from behind and Hermione bit her lip to hold back the whimper that wanted to escape her lungs. When she opened her eyes again, they were standing in front of a small hill that had three monoliths keeping an opening sturdy into the side of the hill from collapsing. The weather in Ireland was a bit colder and a bit harsher, so the woman didn't hesitate to rush into the tomb.

"I didn't think the weather could be any worse than in London." Fleur sighed as she removed her cloak and with a flick of her wand, dried it thoroughly as Hermione did the same with her coat. "Although I guess I'd rather take the snow than the wind."

"I'd be all right with neither." Hermione grumbled as she dried her hair and Fleur chuckled as she looked around the monoliths to find a small knick and a chunk of stone near the base. The Veela wasted no time casting her binding charm and brown eyes watched as she slipped the stone into her pocket.

"Shall we go, ma belle?" The blonde muttered with a smile as she held out her hand and Hermione smiled before lacing their fingers together. The first few yards of the entrance were just stone tunnels that led to a larger room that had two passage ways. Fleur stepped forward with her wand lit up and inspected both passages, finally settling on the one that went to the right. "'Opefully this won't take all day like the goblins suspect, but usually Saxon ruins are succeeded by dwarves, and they can be tricky little beings."

"Dwarves?" The brunette asked curiously as Fleur led her down the passageway, hands still entwined. Hermione was more than happy to feel the older witch's skin against her own, it was warm and soft for the weather being so cold. "I thought they were all wiped out in the goblin rebellions?" Fleur chuckled as they walked maybe another quarter mile and passed other tunnels leading in other direction and Hermione wondered how the blonde knew which way to go.

"They were," The Veela answered softly as they felt a soft breeze and then the narrow way opened up into what looked like a small city built of stone and copper. Hermione gasped softly as her eyes roamed the large expanse of space in the earth that should've been just been tunnels of dirt and stone tombs. "But that doesn't mean they didn't leave a legacy be'ind." Blue eyes glanced down at the brunette as her eyes widened with intrigue and Fleur giggled before leading Hermione on down the dirt slope towards the forgotten underground city. "I think you would've enjoyed the dwarves 'Ermione, they were all about intellect and magic, using it to make great strides in magical 'istory." The air was surprisingly dry for being under the earth, and the first large stone building they came to, Fleur waved her wand to reveal a rune ward shimmering over the door. "Promise to curse anything that comes out of there, oui?" The brunette nodded as she pulled out her wand and the Curse Breaker began waving her wand and muttering counter curses. Within a few seconds, the ward split in half and dissipated. She opened the door slowly, casting 'lumos maxima to illuminate the building. There were small chairs and a wooden table in the middle, but every other piece of furniture was made of stone.

"This is incredible." Hermione mused with a bright smile as she lit her own wand to add light and watched as Fleur began rifling through a chest that was in the back corner of the room. "They lived down here, had a society."

"Oui," The Frenchwoman was holding up some thin bars of hammered gold before stuffing them into her bag. "Sometimes I feel like a glorified thief." She sighed before standing back up and smiling, seeing Hermione inspecting the handy work of the past inhabitants. "Are you ready to go to the next building?" Hermione just nodded as she followed Fleur out and to the next building across the way. The next hour was like this, going from building to building, Fleur going through chests and cellars as the brunette would explore the house for any kind of books on dwarven history. As they walked down a space towards a large courtyard with a dried up fountain, the blonde flung her bag off her shoulder and sighed. "'Ard to believe dwarves were wiped out by goblins." Hermione nodded, the time they'd been there she'd been so caught up the architecture and fact that there was a place like this underground, but now her mind was brought back to Fleur.

"Fleur," Her voice was soft as they sat down on the ledge of the crumbling fountain and Fleur pulled out the noodles and a couple bottles of water. "Can I…can I ask you something?"

"Of course, 'Ermione." The blonde answered as she tore the top half off the styrofoam cup and poured some water in. "What's on your mind?" With a wave of Fleur's hand, she warmed the water in the cup and pressed the top back down so the water could soften the noodles. She repeated this with the other cup and set it next to Hermione.

"I was just wondering," She started as she watched the blonde shed her cloak and sighed before glancing over at the girl next to her. "What…uhm, what happened with you and Bill?" Fleur stiffened and Hermione watched her brow knit together. "I don't mean to pry, I just…well after how you acted this morning and then how Jade reacted to him at Grimmauld Place-"

"'E was at your 'ouse?" Fleur questioned as she whipped her head around and caught Hermione off guard and off balance a bit. "What was 'e doing there? What was Jade doing there?"

"Well, Jade was with Luna, that night after we had dinner." Hermione answered as she thought back and Fleur seemed to relax a bit. "He and Ron came over to get some things and uh...he had a few choice things to say about you. Jade, she…she got on him about it. Really on him." Fleur chuckled softly as she opened her noodles to let the steam out and offered Hermione a plastic fork.

"She's never been fond of 'im." She whispered as she stirred her soup and sighed heavily. "Jade told you 'ow we met, oui?" Hermione nodded as blew on the steaming noodles and looked up at Fleur.

"That you both met when you filed for your divorce at the Ministry."

"She is kind," The blonde whispered as she took a slurp of noodles into her mouth and Hermione giggled. "But, that is not the truth." There was a shadow that crossed her blue eyes as she looked down at the food in her hands and a frown fell on her lips. "When I told Bill that I wanted a divorce, 'e didn't take it very well. You know 'ow the Weasley temper can be." Hermione just nodded as Fleur grinned and then closed her eyes. "We 'ad a fight and, it got pretty…violent." The brunette listened intently as she ate and the Veela's shoulders slumped at the memory.

"Did he hit you?"

"Among other things." The older witch laughed sardonically as she shook her head slightly and frowned. "A Veela is not one to be dominated in any way unless they want it, so what Bill dished out, I gave back equally. We were both bloody messes by the time the Aurors came knocking and as they were trying to figure out what 'ow to get in the 'ouse because of the wards, Bill he…well, he cast an Unforgivable upon me and I'm sure you could guess which." Brown eyes widened significantly as Hermione almost dropped her cup, Fleur seemed rather calm as she glanced down sadly at the younger witch and gave her a sad smile. "'E 'ad changed so much after and during the war, I never thought 'e was capable of something like that, but 'e did and you know, after being 'it with the torture curse, it scars you." Hermione did indeed know this. It had taken her several months after the war to recover from Bellatrix's torture from Malfoy Manor. During the war she never had time to dwell on it, she was too busy keeping herself and her friends alive, but once it was over, it was like a tidal wave slamming over her. She shuddered slightly, remembering the nightmares and months it took to be able to be in crowded, loud areas. It took almost a year to stop herself from having her hand on her wand always, even in the muggle areas. "Jade was the only Auror to show up that day, and after the fight, Bill fled to the Burrow. Leaving me unconscious and injured. She barged in a few moments after he had disappeared, her partner 'eading back to the Ministry to find a curse breaker."

"Why," Hermione whispered as she felt a pain rising swiftly in her chest and she narrowed her eyes. "Why didn't you tell anyone? We would've helped you! Harry, Luna, me! We could've helped you."

"I was afraid," Fleur answered as she looked down at the noodles in her hand and swirled them nonchalantly. "You were all such good friends with the Weasleys, I thought they would turn you all against me if I came to any of you. From what I 'ear, Bill tried to by spreading rumors about our separation. So after I recovered, I went 'ome to France for a couple months and when I came back, Jade was there to check up on me. She did see me again after I 'ad filed for divorce with Bill, but that was our second meeting. I stayed with 'er after that, for a few months. To feel safe and now 'ere we are, I don't think I could've recovered the way I did without 'er 'elp." There was something in her stomach that Hermione knew well as jealousy, and it was creeping through her entire body as if it was the very blood in her veins. All that time, she could've been the one to keep Fleur safe, she could've been the one the Veela was with instead of Jade. But she had chosen Ron at that time, she chose to not contact Fleur after the war, and she chose to forget what had happened at Shell cottage, writing it off as pressure from the war. Of course, in retrospect, everything looks different, especially when you know the truth.

"I'm so sorry," The younger witch breathed as she bowed her head and closed her eyes. "If I would've known, if _anyone _would've know we could've…" She turned her head to look up at Fleur who was smiling gently with soft blue eyes. "You were all alone then. And I'm sorry that we made you feel like any of us would've chosen Bill over you." A slim arm gently wrapped around Hermione's waist and she gasped out of surprise when she crashed softly into Fleur's chest. Her face began to steadily heat up as she felt the blonde rest her cheek on the top of her head.

"Do not fret over the past, 'Ermione." The taller woman whispered as she held Hermione a little tighter. "I 'ave come to terms with it, besides my complete dislike and avoidance of Bill Weasley, but other than 'is presence, I'm not bothered by it anymore. And you're 'ere now, that's more than I could ever ask for." The wavy haired woman sighed softly, trying to will her anger away as she closed her eyes and focused on the woman whose arms she was currently wrapped in. The scent of coffee and vanilla wafted into her nose, making her muscles relax involuntarily. She felt a gentle hand tangle in her hair as Fleur hummed in content and Hermione smiled softly, letting go of the last bit of stress in her body.

"Can I ask you one thing, Fleur?" The blonde nodded as she pulled away, just enough so she could look into Hermione's warm brown eyes. "Why didn't you report Bill? I'm sure Jade had to file something about the incident."

"I asked 'er not to." Brown eyes widened slightly at her answer as Fleur chuckled and shook her head. "As much as I 'ated Bill at that moment after 'e fled, contrary to Weasley belief, I did love 'im and I knew what 'e 'ad done wasn't normal. So she changed the file, said it was a domestic dispute that 'ad been resolved, but she did save 'er memory of that night in case she ever needed to bring it into court as evidence. So she 'angs that over 'is 'ead when 'e tries to get too close to me." Hermione snorted in disgust as Fleur sighed and pulled her back into her arms. "I didn't want to ruin 'is life, 'e would never survive in Azkaban."

"He didn't have a problem trying to ruin yours though." Hermione retorted softly as she felt deft fingers combing gently through her curls. "If I were Jade, I would've turned him in already." She felt the blonde chuckle as she pulled away and looked up to see what was so funny.

"I do believe, 'Ermione," Fleur smirked as she raised an eyebrow at the girl in her arms. "That if you were Jade, you would've tried to curse 'im to Oblivion by now." The brunette shrugged her shoulders and smiled. She couldn't argue with that.

x—x

Jade sighed heavily as she sat back in her chair and groaned at the amount of paper work on her desk. Being the Deputy of the Auror Office wasn't a job that it was all cracked up to be. She almost wished she was still just an Auror so she could go out and hunt like the others. But instead, here she was sitting behind a desk filing reports of accidents and rogue agents. Not what she thought it was going to be.

"Damned rogue aurors." She hissed as she began to rub her hand along her forehead to try and ease the growing ache behind her eyes. "Can't keep their wands pointed straight." Jade glanced up at the clock. It was almost five in the evening and she hadn't heard anything from Fleur. This wasn't uncommon, but she had to admit to herself that she was a bit anxious to see how things went with Hermione. There was a gentle knocking on her door and her head snapped to see Luna's sky blue eyes. "Hello, Luna, are you off already?"

"Mr. Diggory likes me when I work in the Beast Division," The blonde answered as she closed the door and moved to sit in one of the leather chairs in front of Jade's desk. "How is your work coming along?" The lycan just groaned as she dropped the handful of papers she was going over and combed her fingers through her hair.

"Oh my," Luna whispered as she looked at the pile on the lycan's desk. "You sure did get stuck with a lot today didn't you? Do you need any help?"

"Do you know how to file an accident report?" The raven haired woman asked as she raised her eyebrows at the younger witch in front of her. Luna just smirked and took a few papers from the desk and sifted through them. She began organizing them into neat piles and Jade's eyes widened at the efficiency that Luna was organizing the papers she had already signed. "Jeez, Luna, if you ever quit in the Department of Magical Creatures, then I could give you a job here as my secretary." The blonde just chuckled as she glanced up with a playful gleam in her eyes.

"Jade would like that, wouldn't she?"

"I can't say I would hate the view." A smirk played on the Auror's lips as Luna quirked an eyebrow and rolled her eyes at the older woman. "But I know how much you enjoy your job at the moment."

"I do think a desk job would drive me a bit insane." Luna muttered as she put another paper in a pile and sighed. "Could you leave the rest until tomorrow?" The lycan sighed as she looked down at the paper work she had left and nodded.

"I can come in early to get it done." She smiled as Luna walked around the desk and pressed a kiss to Jade's forehead. The Auror hummed her approval and her eyes fluttered shut as the blonde began running her hands through ink black locks. Jade was practically putty in the younger witch's hands as she leaned forward into the blonde and sighed. "Instead of going out to dinner, how about we get take-out and go back to your place? Sit by the fire and relax, maybe you keep running her hands through my hair?" The younger girl giggled as Jade opened her eyes and Luna pecked her on the cheek.

"Thai food sounds good." The girl breathed as she tilted Jade's face up and smiled a dreamy smile. "If we order now, we can pick it up on the way to Grimmauld Place."

"That sounds lovely." Jade answered as Luna took a step away and she instantly missed the warmth from the witch. "Do you mind? While I clean up and get things in order?" The blonde nodded as she stepped out of the office and the Auror sighed a contented sigh as she started arranging her desk. She stood up and stretched before summoning her cloak, wrapping it around her shoulders, heading out the door and locking it. Luna was waiting near the elevator with a small smile on her face.

"I just sent the owl." Her voice was breathy as she held her hand out to the lycan who took it gently. "It should be ready in fifteen minutes."

"You ordered for me?"

"I picked something I thought Jade would like from what I know of you." The blonde answered as they entered the elevator and rode it down. "Was that a bad idea?"

"Of course not," The blue eyed woman answered as she gently squeezed Luna's hand. "I'm rather intrigued about what kind of food I'll find." Luna smiled brightly as she wrapped her arms around Jade's and leaned against her as the older woman melted. After they left the Ministry, they made the short walk down town to the Thai place to pick up their food and then apparated back to Grimmauld Place to eat. Harry was the only one home when they arrived and was sitting at a table with Neville Longbottom who was working at Hogwarts as the new Herbology professor.

"Hello, Neville," Luna greeted as they walked past the kitchen into the living room with Jade in tow.

"H-hey, Luna." The man stuttered with a bright smile and he was met with a harsh gaze from the blue eyed Auror. "Uhm…h-hello." Jade just narrowed her eyes and walked past the kitchen. "Who was that?" He asked Harry as Jade walked past and followed the blonde.

"That's Jade," Harry answered as he set down his mug of beer and glanced to where the Auror once stood. "She's the Deputy Head Auror, and well, she and Luna are sort of seeing one another."

"Like, dating?" Neville asked as his eyes widened and he leaned back, trying to catch a glimpse of the girls to see if what his friend said was true.

"Who is that guy?" Jade asked as she glanced towards the kitchen and saw the brunette leaning back in his chair. "He keeps…eyeing you." The blonde just smiled and set a reassuring hand on Jade's knee.

"He's just an old friend." Luna answered as she began taking the food out of the bag and setting it on the coffee table. "I think he fancied me when we were in school, but Jade is who I fancy, so don't worry."

"I wasn't worried." The lycan huffed as a soft blush dusted her cheeks and Luna giggled before leaning up, pressing a soft peck on Jade's cheek.

"Of course not." The blonde mused and gently nudged the Auror with her shoulder. Jade smirked and took the offered container of food before opening it, the aroma wafting into her nose. "What do you think?"

"Smells delicious," Bright blue eyes glanced down as Luna handed her some chopsticks. They ate in relative silence with random chat about work and when Luna was in school. Jade would glance back towards the kitchen every now and then to see Neville glancing over sheepishly towards them, ducking away when he'd lock eyes with the Auror. After they had finished eating, Luna sighed contentedly before leaning back into the couch and smiled. "I must admit, Luna, you did a great job at choosing my meal. I think I'll have you do it again in the future." The blonde just smiled as Jade lifted her arm and she moved into it.

"You're very comfortable." Luna sighed as she nuzzled into the lycan's shoulder and felt the taller woman rest her head against her. "Perhaps you should stay with me more often." Jade just chuckled as she pecked the younger witch on the forehead. With a snap of Luna's fingers, the fire in the grate lit up and the new flat screen television that Harry had invested in turned on. Luna moved so she was lying down and Jade maneuvered under her. It was comfortable, having someone she could be so close with and wanted to be closer to. The lycan sighed before feeling Luna yawn and something came on the television about nature in North America. Her hand slowly moved into the blonde's silk locks and began gently running deft fingers through thick, long hair. "Keep doing that," The young witch whispered as bright blue eyes glanced down to see Luna's eyes fluttering shut. "And I don't think I'll let you leave."

"I wouldn't mind." The raven haired woman smirked as the blonde wiggled her way up and smiled before pressing her lips firmly against Jade's, tangling her hands into her hair. Jade's hands moved down to rest at the small of Luna's back and barely parted her lips. Jade had been waiting, dating, more specifically, to find her mate and she was hoping to the gods above and below that she had found her. There was an itch that she couldn't scratch when Luna wasn't around and it made her anxious sometimes ever since their first kiss. The blonde made her feel calm and happy when she was around, something that was hard for her to come by with others. Her thoughts were soon extinguished as Luna brushed her tongue along her bottom lip and the Auror bit back a moan.

"Jade is eager." Luna teased gently as she pulled away and brushed her fingertips along the taller woman's jawline. A soft chuckle vibrated in the lycan's throat as she shrugged with a lopsided grin and leaned up to capture the blonde's lips again. The younger woman giggled softly before reciprocating and letting her eyes close again.

"Ahem." Jade's eyes snapped open as Luna groaned and pushed herself up on her hands to see who had interrupted her time with the Auror. "I see you two are very comfortable."

"Welcome home, Ginny."

x—x

Hermione sighed as she flopped down on the couch in Fleur's living room and sighed. Her eyes were heavy as she watched the fire change colors and the blonde walked towards her, handing her a steaming mug of tea. The day in the dwarven ruins had been exciting for the brunette. Nothing too dangerous besides a blood ward that Hermione had been nervous about Fleur breaking, but other than that, it went rather smoothly. They returned with Fleur's bag almost full of gold bars that she had dropped off at the bank before they'd apparated into her loft.

"Did you 'ave fun, ma belle?" The blonde asked as she sat down with a huff next to Hermione and sipped her tea. "I must admit, it was much more pleasurable with you there."

"I did enjoy myself." Hermione admitted as she watched the steam roll from her cup. "It was nice, spending time with you. I don't remember the last time we've had time alone."

"Not since Shell Cottage, I believe." Fleur sighed as she gazed into the fire, remembering the broken girl she had taken in to heal and nourish. There had been so much of Hermione's fire missing that day and she hated to dwell on it. So instead, she turned to see the brunette's eyes shut as she drank her tea. A small smile spread on her lips to see much of that fire back in those brown eyes as she glanced up into pale blue orbs. "It's nice to know we don't 'ave to worry about things like that anymore."

"Yeah." A soft sigh escaped Hermione's lips as she set her mug down and leaned over to rest her head against Fleur's shoulder. "It's nice that I can see you without having to be half dead." Fleur moved her arm to drape it over the younger witch's shoulders and Hermione moved closer to her. The warmth the woman was emitted was intoxicating. Her nose buried into coconut scented waves and her eyes fluttered shut as she inhaled deeply, hearing Hermione giggle. "Are you attracted to my hair?"

"I'm drawn in by everything about you, 'Ermione." The blonde whispered as she nuzzled her nose into chestnut locks. "You're 'air, your scent, your eyes." The younger witch pulled away slightly to look into baby blue eyes and smiled before pressing her forehead against Fleur's lips. "Everything."

"You're almost too much." Hermione whispered as she maneuvered herself so she was eye level with the part-Veela. "I regret the time we've missed out on not being together." Fleur smiled as gently cupped the brunette's face in her hands and looked into her warm eyes.

"We can make up for it." Her voice was soft as she felt the shorter woman move closer and tangle her fingers in her blonde hair. "I look forward to making up for it."

"So do I." Brown eyes fluttered shut as Hermione leaned forward and gently pressed her lips against Fleur's, taking in the feeling of the Veela's hands on her waist as she leaned up to deepen the kiss. A soft sigh escaped the blonde's lips as Hermione pushed forward, guiding Fleur down so she was lying on the couch. Fleur's senses were buzzing as she felt the brunette's weight on her body, she felt her Veela pushing her walls for more, more touching, more tasting, more Hermione. It took all she had to fight back, to keep her hands on the younger woman's waist and keep her lips engaged in the gentle, soft kiss. Her insides were on fire as she felt Hermione draw back slowly, eyes darkened with want and her breath ragged. She was having just as much trouble ending the kiss as Fleur had holding back from it.

"Slow." Fleur breathed as she swallowed hard and tried to ease her heart rate that was thundering in her chest. Hermione chuckled softly before trailing her fingers down the Veela's jaw and softly kissed her again, briefly. Far too briefly for the blonde, but she didn't push, they were taking things slow, because they had time. She felt those feather soft finger tips ghost down her neck and she bit back a growl as she leaned up and tried to capture Hermione's lips. The brunette was just out of reach and smirked as she put a single finger against Fleur's soft lips.

"Slow." She agreed with a whisper as she cupped the taller woman's cheek and rested her forehead against Fleur's. There was a calm, steadying breath that left both of their lungs as they tried to ease their adrenaline. Hermione had never felt desire like this, being with Fleur made her want things she'd never thought she'd want from the woman and now that she had had a taste, she was hooked. How was she supposed to take things slow when Hermione was already addicted on the Veela's high inducing kisses that made her body crave nothing but her touch? Her eyes closed as she tried to control herself, feeling Fleur's hands move up her back slowly and back down as if trying to soothe her. Trails of fire were left in their wake and the brunette suddenly found herself warm, too warm and wanting to stoke the flames if that meant more of Fleur. The blonde must've sensed her shift as her hands stopped and Hermione's eyes snapped open, staring hungrily at the woman underneath her. "Don't stop, I haven't had enough yet." Blue eyes blinked a few times before the younger witch descended once again, claiming Fleur's lips in a possessive, hungry kiss that she reciprocated eagerly. Hands gripped at hips as the Veela pulled Hermione down to meet her until there was no space left between their bodies and a soft moan rang through the air as Fleur shifted her leg in between the brunette's. There was a storm brewing as Hermione groaned and parted her lips to graze her teeth along her Veela's bottom lip.

Slow. Once you've felt the euphoric sensations of kissing someone you love, feeling them, tasting them, you can never go slow.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Yay! Chapter 7! Thanks to everyone for the reviews I really enjoy your feedback and I'll get to the typos soon :D**

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Chapter 7: Windy

Hermione awoke when she heard a yawn echoing in her ears and felt fingers combing through her hair. Her head was resting on Fleur's chest with the blonde's arm draped over her shoulders. A contented sigh escaped Hermione's lungs as she looked up into Fleur's blue eyes and a bright smile grew on her lips. They were still on the couch, still clothes, still tangled in a mess of limbs as they looked into each other's eyes.

"Good morning," The Veela whispered as she leaned forward and pecked the brunette on the forehead. Brown eyes glanced towards the windows in the kitchen and noticed, it was indeed morning, but only barely. "'Ow did you sleep, ma belle?"

"Fabulously." Hermione answered as she stretched and tried to untangle her legs from Fleur's. "For sleeping on top of another person on a lumpy couch."

"'Ey," The blonde smiled as moved so she was leaning back against the arm rest. "This couch is very comfortable, you just 'ave to mold your body to it first." Hermione just giggled as she sat up and tucked a few stray curls behind her ear, peering down at the blonde who looked charmingly disheveled. "Although, per'aps next time you spend the night, we could sleep in my bed."

"Are you trying to seduce me?"

"Is it working?" Fleur quirked an eyebrow playfully and Hermione leaned down to brush her nose against the blonde's.

"Not that you really need to try." The brunette answered as she pecked Fleur's lips and sat up to stretch her arms over her head. "Good thing it's Friday, I don't have to be into work until after noon."

"What department are you working in today?" The part-Veela asked as she sat up and rolled her neck

"Law Enforcement again," Hermione smiled as she felt Fleur's hand slip into hers and lace their fingers together. "I'm sure I'll have to make up for what I missed yesterday."

"Will you be joining me for breakfast then?" The older witch rose and swiftly pulled her silver hair into a ponytail before moving into the kitchen, opening the fridge to see what she had to eat. "I 'ave things to make French Toast?"

"I'll make some coffee." As the brunette was busy brewing, Fleur already had some bread and eggs out while readying a pan on the stove. "Do you not use magic to cook, Fleur?"

"Not all the time." Hermione heard the sizzle of the toast on the griddle as she glanced over to see Fleur flipping a piece of toast. "I sort of like the muggle way of cooking, makes it more, real to me. Start to rely on magic for everything then you won't remember 'ow to do certain things on your own." A smile spread on the younger witch's lips as she moved behind Fleur and wrapped her arms around the slim waist. The blonde tensed slightly before relaxing in Hermione's arms with a contented sigh.

"I find it charming." She whispered against Fleur's shoulder as she took in the blonde's scent. Fleur chuckled as she flipped another piece of bread and resting a hand over Hermione's that rested on her side. She could definitely get used to having Hermione there every morning. Fleur never liked to admit it, but she did indeed need her mate. Having the brunette there now proved it more than anything as she placed a few pieces of toast on a plate and turned in the shorter witch's embrace, gently pecking the shorter woman on the forehead. Fleur had never felt so complete as she sat at the table across from Hermione and had breakfast. She'd always been told that when a Veela finds their mate everything in their life falls into place and she was rather convinced this was true. The feeling she felt with Hermione was addicting and she wanted nothing more than to keep the woman in her arms forever.

x—x

Hermione was walking up the steps of the Ministry around twelve-thirty, smiling to herself as she reminisced at the morning she'd had. She was walking through the lobby when she noticed Luna sitting by the fountain eating a salad.

"Luna," Hermione called as she neared and the blonde girl looked up, smiling kindly at the brunette. "No Jade today?" Brown eyes glanced around and Luna shook her head as Hermione sat down next to her.

"She had some extra paper work to finish," Luna answered softly as she took a bite of her lunch. "So she's working through lunch so she can get out of work on time." Pale blue eyes glanced at her friend and a sly smile spread on her lips. "How was your night, Hermione? I assume you stayed with Fleur since you didn't come home."

"Uhm…yeah, I did." A heated blush filled her cheeks as she averted her gaze to the ground and smiled. "And it was…really pleasant."

"Just pleasant?" The blonde pushed as she gently nudged her friend with her shoulder. Hermione chuckled before shrugging.

"It was amazing." She admitted as she sighed contentedly and practically swooned just thinking about her night.

"I take it your relationship is mending then?" Hermione nodded as Luna smiled and brushed her hair over her shoulder. "I'm glad, Hermione seems much happier with Fleur."

"What about you and Jade?"

"Jade is very sweet," The younger girl answered dreamily as she closed the container her food was in. "It's official that we're in a relationship now, so I imagine you'll be seeing more of her at Grimmauld Place, or less of me." Hermione giggled as she stood with the blonde and walked back towards the elevators. The day went by swiftly as she worked with Mr. Weasley who was more than happy to have her service that day.

"So," Mr. Weasley smiled as he watched Hermione inspecting some of the muggle contraptions he had found the other day. "Did you enjoy your first experience at curse breaking with Fleur?" Hermione tensed slightly at the mention of the Veela's name and smiled shyly at the balding man.

"It was definitely interesting." The brown eyed girl answered with a soft sigh. "I never knew that being a Curse Breaker could be so tedious." Arthur chuckled as he was looking over a muggle digital clock and Hermione smiled at his interest.

"How is Fleur?" Hermione hadn't really expected Mr. Weasley to take interest, but she did know that he was one of the Weasleys (if any) that truly did enjoy Fleur's company. "I was a little worried after her and Bill's sudden separation."

"She's uhm…" The brunette stumbled over her words a bit as she cleared her throat and looked over at Arthur. "She's doing very well, she told me about what happened and it did seem a bit sudden. She's sort of buried herself in work and went back to France at the very beginning to be with her family."

"I thought she would." Arthur murmured softly as he set the clock down and moved to a VCR. "I was a bit worried after that happened that she wouldn't keep in touch, I can understand why she didn't with us being Bill's family, but I'm glad she kept in touch with you kids. I had hoped she would've stayed close to the family, but you know Molly."

"And Ron," Hermione added with a roll of her eyes and Arthur laughed. "Sorry."

"It's all right, Hermione." He said as he sat down in the storage room and ran a hand over his red hair. "Believe me, I know the temper my wife and children seem to have. Georgie and Charlie seem to be the only ones that have escaped it."

"Do you know what happened?" The girl asked as timidly as she began organizing things by category. "Between Bill and Fleur, I mean?"

"No one's really sure," Mr. Weasley answered as he handed Hermione an old flip phone to put in the pile of other phones. "Bill keeps saying Fleur wanted it, that she was unfaithful, but his story always changes or he adds on. It's hard to weed out the truth without talking to the girl." Hermione smiled gently as she turned back to her work and began fiddling with the wires that were sticking out a hand held vacuum. The next couple hours passed swiftly as they headed back to Arthur's office to document their findings. "Why don't you and the others come over for dinner tonight? I'm sure Molly would enjoy seeing you," Arthur paused for a moment before taking a deep breath and looking into Hermione's brown eyes. "You could invite Fleur, we haven't seen her in such a long time." The young girl blinked a few times and nodded.

"I'll try to convince her to come." She answered and then rubbed the back of her neck. "Uhm…Luna has a date tonight, should I still ask her?"

"Tell her to bring the bloke along." The man smiled as he glanced up at the clock and summoned his cloak. "The more the merrier after all." Hermione chuckled awkwardly and combed her hair through her curls. Jade and Fleur being in the same vicinity of any of the Weasleys didn't seem like the best idea, but maybe it would be a good chance to clear the air. At least she knew George and Arthur wouldn't be too judgmental. Hermione nodded finally and a bright smile spread on the man's face. "I'll let Molly know to set extra places."

x—x

"I cannot believe I let you talk me into this." Fleur grumbled as they walked towards the Burrow with Harry, Ginny, Luna, Jade, and Hermione. "I feel like this is going to be a disaster."

"Buck up, Fleur." Jade threw an arm around the Veela's shoulders and smiled. "It won't be that bad, Bill wouldn't try anything while I'm here and if you act overly nice to him, maybe his family will see him for the conniving asshole that he is." Fleur just sighed as she glanced down at Hermione who was grasping her left hand gently and offered a small smile. Jade let her arm slip from the blonde's shoulders before moving back towards Luna and slipping an arm around her waist. The sun was just starting to set as they reached the Burrow and Harry moved forward to knock on the door. It was safer for Ginny and Harry to enter first instead of anyone else, seeing as Bill's ex-wife was present and Ron's ex-girlfriend. Hermione grumbled slightly, maybe she shouldn't have agreed to the dinner invite, but Arthur was practically a second father to her and she hadn't visited with them in a long time.

"Harry! Ginny!" Arthur smiled as he opened the door and scooped his daughter into his arms. "It's so good to see you." His eyes glanced over the crowd and fell on Fleur. "Good to see you doing well, Fleur." Fleur smiled and accepted Mr. Weasley's hug before looking past him and seeing Molly glaring. She stepped out of the man's embrace as he hugged Luna and shook Jade's hand before ushering them all inside. Thankfully, Bill had decided not to come to dinner, so really, all they had to do is deal with Ron, who was just sitting in the den playing chess with George. "Come in, all of you, make yourself at home." The group moved into the house and immediately, Harry and Ginny went to see George as Hermione put a gentle hand on Fleur's shoulder before ushering her along with them. Luna and Jade went into the kitchen to offer their help to Molly, and also, to try and keep the matriarch's attention off of Fleur.

"Hey guys," George greeted as he stood up from the table and Ron grunted in frustration at his game being interrupted. "How are you all?" His eyes glanced to Fleur and he smiled before pulling her into a hug. Fleur's eyes widened slightly before gently patting him on the back awkwardly. "Good to see you, Fleur."

"Thanks, George," The blonde smiled gently at the tall red head and tucked a few locks of blonde hair behind her ear. "'Ow is Angelina?" George smirked and waved his hand nonchalantly.

"Very well," He answered as Harry began speaking with Ron and Ginny exited to the kitchen to help her mother. "She's really helped me with the joke shop and financially, she's always been really good with numbers, that way I can have Ronnikins on the floor."

"Don't call me that." Ron hissed as his face flushed and his brother chuckled. His pale blue eyes glanced at the Veela with a heavy glare before turning back to Harry. Fleur rolled her eyes before she felt Hermione's hand gently slip into hers and she tried to relax. George smirked as he put his hand over his mouth and leaned in close to the blonde.

"I see you and Hermione are making progress." He whispered as a blush grew in her cheeks and she cleared her throat. Hermione must have heard as she moved over and gently punched him in the arm. "Hey! No need to get violent."

"Don't blurt out anything." Hermione hissed as she narrowed her eyes and George's eyes widened. "We have to do this delicately. I can't have you just shouting out that Fleur and I are together, ok, George?"

"My lips are sealed, 'Mione." The red head drew his them and forefinger over his lips and winked. "Now let's get into the kitchen before my mother yells." Hermione nodded as they followed George into the kitchen and saw Luna putting some food on the table as Jade was pouring water into glasses. "Oi, I remember you from the club." George said as Jade set the pitcher down and smiled, extending her and he shook it.

"Nice to see you again." Jade greeted politely as she smiled and Luna came to stand next to her. "George, right? You run the joke shop?"

"Sure do!" The man grinned as he puffed out his chest and Jade chuckled. "And you're one of the top five Aurors in the Ministry, right?"

"Enough talk of work," Molly intervened with a small smile. "Come, come now, everyone take your seat so we can eat." She failed to acknowledge Hermione or Fleur and they both looked at one another before sighing. Fleur ended up sitting next to Jade and Hermione on the other side as Ron and Harry entered to take their seats. Ron was glaring at Fleur and Jade, going back and forth between them as Molly set the last bowl of stuffing on the table.

"So, Jade," Arthur started, trying to break the tension with the dinner. "How have things been going with the Aurors?"

"Very well," Jade answered with a small smile as she swallowed the food in her mouth. "I train Harry a couple times a week and Gawain has been in talks of retiring."

"Really?" Harry and Ron asked at the same time as Jade's eyes widened slightly and she blinked a few times as she glanced between all the eyes that were on her.

"When did this happen?" Aruthur continued calmly as Harry gaped and Ron was coughing up his potatoes.

"A few days ago." The lycan continued as she took a drink from her water and cleared her throat. "I'm in line to take over if he does." There were a few gasps and more coughing as Jade smirked and poked at the food on her plate.

"Congratulations!" Mr. Weasley beamed as Jade thanked him and then glanced over at Fleur. "What about you, Fleur? How has work been going for you?"

"Busy as always, Mr. Weasley." The Veela said softly as she wiped her mouth and smiled gently at the man. "As you know, 'Ermione and I just got back last night from Ireland."

"We found some astounding Dwarven ruins." Hermione added with an excited tone in her voice as Arthur nodded and Ron narrowed his eyes, as did Molly. "It was amazing, one of the best experiences in my life."

"You went with her?" Ron asked as she set his fork down and tilted his head in confusion. "Was that safe? You're not trained for that line of work."

"It doesn't take much when you're just going as protection for the actual Curse Breaker." The brunette retorted as she glared at the red headed man and took a bite of her salad. "I was just there to make sure Fleur stayed safe, they had no one else to send her with."

"They could've sent Bill." The boy grumbled and Jade instantly tensed, throwing a harsh glare at the red head.

"Are you saying that I was a poor choice?" Hermione quirked an eyebrow at the man as Harry elbowed him and Ginny hissed at him. "Because I think it went rather smoothly."

"I'm just saying," Ron continued as he rubbed the back of his neck. "That Bill would've been more qualified."

"Oh Merlin," Ginny whispered under her breath as she stuffed her mouth full of stuffing and glanced at Harry who shook his head. "Here it comes."

"Maybe Bill was busy throwing curses around at people he loves, or claims to." Jade said nonchalantly which elicited gasps from all the Weasleys there besides Ginny. "Or maybe he just didn't have the man parts to face his ex-wife."

"That's no way to talk about my son!" Molly spat as she slammed her fork down and glared at her son and the raven haired woman across from him. "How dare you speak of Bill that way after that…that…scarlet woman left him! Cheated on him!" Jade growled as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Fleur was ducking her head, trying to stay out of the crossfire as Hermione clenched her jaw and narrowed her gaze at Ron. "She destroyed my son!"

"He destroyed himself." The Auror hissed as her eyes began to glow with anger before she stood and straightened her shirt. "You think that Bill is so perfect, you don't even question why Fleur had to leave the country to get away from him." Glowing blue eyes glanced down at Fleur who had her eyes narrowed and averted to the ground as Jade glared at Mrs. Weasley. The elder witch was matching Jade's gaze as Fleur stood and bowed her head slightly.

"I'm sorry to 'ave caused such trouble at your dinner," She said calmly as she glanced at Arthur and gave him and apologetic smile. "I'll take my leave now." Fleur moved and felt all the eyes at the table on her as Jade huffed and stormed out after her. Luna was the next to stand and smile politely at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley.

"You don't have to leave just because they are, Luna." Ron said firmly as he watched the blonde sigh and turn towards him.

"One shouldn't leave their significant other alone in a moment like this." Luna mused airily as she looked at Mrs. Weasley and thanked her for the meal. "I'm afraid of what Jade might do if I don't calm her down."

"You're dating her?" George asked, more out of curiosity than any disbelief. "Good on ya, Luna." The blonde giggled softly before nodding and glancing at Ron who looked awe struck.

"Thanks again for dinner, Mrs. Weasley." Molly looked equally shocked as she nodded and watched the blonde exit the kitchen. Hermione was a bit in a bind, this was definitely not the way she had wanted the others to find out she and Fleur were together, but Luna was right. She shouldn't leave Fleur alone either after what had just happened. So slowly, she rose and cleared her throat as she noticed Ron's gaze harden and Molly's mouth open a little wider.

"'Mione," The red headed man asked through his teeth as he stood up and stared. "Where are you going? Surely you're not going to go comfort that woman? After what she did to Bill and…"

"You don't know what Bill has done to her." Hermione argued hotly as she held her hand out as if to stop him from moving from his place. "No idea, Ron. None of you do." She sighed to try and calm her nerves before forcing a smile on her face. "Thank you for inviting me to dinner and I'm sorry it had to go like this. I hope maybe in future we can try again." She went to exit as she heard a chair scrape along the wood floor.

"Hermione!" Ron yelled as he caught her just as she was walking out the door. "Where are you going? Why are you going after her?"

"Because Luna is right," She said softly before locking eyes with Ron. "I shouldn't leave Fleur alone right now." Pale blue eyes widened as he gaped at his ex and shook his head. "Sorry you had to find out like this Ron, but, Fleur and I are together and I shouldn't leave her alone after what's just happened." She didn't give him a chance to reply as she walked out the door and shut it gently behind her.

x—x

"Fleur!" Jade called as she followed the blonde through the open fields around the Weasley's home. "Fleur, wait!"

"You didn't need to do that!" Fleur shouted back as she stormed her way through the tall grass, heading nowhere in particular. "I know Ronald was being an arse, but we could've made it through dinner, don't you think?" She stopped suddenly and spun to face Jade, a hard look on her flawless face. "I didn't want this, Jade. That's why I asked you not to file the incident. Those people look for any reason to judge me!"

"Then let me tell them the truth." The lycan retorted as she narrowed her eyes and took a step closer to the Veela. "I'm your best friend, Fleur, and I love you. But not enough to keep this secret any more. I love you too much to keep lying for you, they should know, the whole fucking world should know what he did!"

"You take this too personal, mon loup."

"And I shouldn't?!" Jade asked angrily as her eyes began to glow bright again. "Why do you let them speak to you like that? To speak of _him _like he's the goddamned victim? You and I both know that he should be in Azkaban for what he did to you!"

"Enough!" The blonde cried as she ran a hand through her silky strands and groaned. "I can't! I don't want to ruin 'is life, I just want 'im out of mine and 'e is. That's all I asked for and I got it. Don't you think I deserve some peace for that? I 'ave 'Ermione now, Bill is out of my life and I 'onestly, couldn't be 'appier."

"Being with Hermione means having the Weasleys in your life again, Fleur." Jade sighed before scratching the back of her head in irritation and turning away from her briefly before seeing Luna walk out the door of the Burrow. "And I know that's the same with me, but Luna isn't as close to the Weasleys as Hermione is, they're practically her family. You can't escape them."

"I know this." Fleur muttered as she turned from her friend to look at the stars in the dark blue sky. "I know, but I can't tell them the truth, it would break their 'earts." Jade sighed again before trying to release the rest of the stress in her shoulders and rolling her eyes slightly at Fleur's statement. For how they idolized the man, maybe they should be told if only to make them see their son and brother isn't a saint among men.

"Why do you have to be so kind all the time?" The Auror asked softly as she lifted her gaze towards the sky and closed her eyes, taking in the moonlight that was leaking in through the patchy blanket of clouds above them. "You know what he's capable off, what he's done, and you're still willing to spare their feelings at your cost. Why?"

"They're good people, Jade." Fleur's voice was gentle and calm as she spoke and Jade listened closely as her friend spoke. "They've lost a son, they're just protecting their own. That's what family does, you know? If we tell them the truth, they'll lose another son and I don't want that." Jade scoffed and folded her arms over her chest.

"If only they knew what you were protecting them from." She murmured as she heard Luna approaching slowly. "You'd think he'd be a bit more grateful since it's pretty evident you could go to the Ministry with this at any time. You know the laws on using an Unforgivable don't expire, right? It doesn't matter when he did it, it's still a serious crime now and into the future."

"I'm aware, mon ami." Fleur finally turned and smiled at her friend before looking past her to see Luna standing off a ways behind them, waiting for their conversation to end. "Let's put it be'ind us now, oui? Miss Lovegood 'as come to tend to you and I think I see 'Ermione coming as well." Jade turned to indeed, see the brunette just stepping out of the house and moving towards them.

"How do you think Ron took the news?"

"You think she told 'im?" The blonde asked curiously as she moved to stand next to the lycan.

"Of course she did." Jade stated as a matter of factly. "How else would she be able to escape his clutches? You know any excuse she would give him he'd shoot down. Her telling him you two are together will probably shut the kid up for days." Fleur chuckled as Jade finally moved forward towards the younger blonde waiting patiently for her before turning to look over her shoulder at the Veela. "I hope you don't mind, I told Hermione how much you enjoy running. So don't be surprised if she starts to chase you every time you do from now on." Fleur blinked a few times before she realized what Jade was referring to. "I'm glad to see that she came after you tonight, I would've questioned her feelings towards you if she hadn't." At that moment, Hermione got close enough to hear Jade and Fleur speaking and continued on past the lycan before she was standing right in front of the French woman.

"Are you all right?" She asked softly as her brow furrowed with concern and Fleur smiled lovingly down at her. Hermione gently took the blonde's hands and took a step closer as Fleur nodded her head. "I'm sorry about that, it was rude of her to say such things about you while you were present."

"Molly 'as always been brash, 'Ermione." The blonde woman smiled as she leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Hermione's forehead. "You don't need to apologize for 'er, it's just 'oo she is."

"She didn't need to call you a 'scarlet woman'." Hermione scoffed as she rolled her eyes, remembering the articles written about her during her fourth year. "Or that you destroyed Bill's life because you obviously didn't." Fleur smiled and pulled the brunette into a warm embrace.

"I 'ope you never lose that fire, 'Ermione." She whispered as she rested her forehead against the shorter woman's and sighed, taking in the girl in her arms. "It's one of the things I love most about you." Hermione blushed as she leaned up and captured the French woman's lips with her own. She faintly heard a chuckle behind them, but ignored it as Fleur's lips moved like water over hers.

"Hey, lovebirds," Jade called playfully with her arm draped over Luna's shoulders affectionately. "Why don't we get out of here and get a proper night of this debacle?" Hermione glanced over her shoulder at Jade and Luna and smiled before looking up into light blue eyes.

"What do you say?" The brunette queried as she quirked an eyebrow at the Veela who just smiled back and nodded. Jade and Luna were drawing closer as Hermione turned to face them.

"Flourish?"


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Hurray, chapter 8! Hope you all enjoy it and thanks for sticking with me :D and as always, ignore my typos and thanks for all the feedback :)**

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Chapter 8: Flurry

The night at the club made it easy to forget the debacle at the Burrow. A part of Hermione felt guilty as she walked down the street a little past midnight with Fleur, Luna, and Jade. She was pretty sure Jade and herself were the only sober ones, but Luna was behaving normally, she was just blushing more than normal and giggling uncontrollably at things that weren't at all that funny, not to mention she was riding on the Auror's back instead of walking. Fleur, on the other hand, had one arm slung over Hermione's shoulders and was half leaning on the shorter brunette for support as she wobbled slightly back and forth. Other than that, you'd never know the blonde beauty was at all intoxicated. The brunette didn't know if they'd actually agreed on convening back at Fleur's place, but it was much closer than Grimmauld Place, and Jade's flat was far too small, so she claimed.

"I see you've grown to be able to hold your liquor." Jade mused as she hopped a little, securing the small blonde on her back as they turned down the street and headed towards the tall brick building. "Tell me, when did that happen, Fleur?" The tall Veela that was chuckling now and shaking her head, glanced at Jade, quirking an eyebrow at the lycan who was smirking as Luna nuzzled her face into her black hair.

"We French are known for 'olding our liqueur." Fleur drawled as she waved her hand in front of her and smiled brightly as they reached her building. Hermione rolled her eyes with a chuckled as she opened the door and Fleur walked in as Jade and Luna came in behind them. "Besides, my Veela metabolism makes it very difficult to get drunk."

"Could've fooled me." Hermione muttered and Jade laughed as they reached the elevator and she pushed the button for the fifth floor. The brunette glanced over at Jade and noticed her eyes were narrowed slightly and she was sniffing the air. "Something smell bad?" The lycan blinked a few times before offering Hermione a lopsided grin.

"Must be the cleaner they use." She answered as she glanced at Fleur who was watching her closely. Luna was half asleep as Jade gently, and surprisingly effortlessly maneuvered the girl into her arms so she was carrying her bridal style. When the elevator light illuminated the fifth floor, brown eyes noticed the more serious look on the Veela's face as the doors slid open.

"Everything all right?" Hermione was looking back and forth between the two blue eyed women as Fleur stepped forward, gently guiding Hermione behind her. The Veela looked over her shoulder and tried to seem as calm as possible.

"Wand at the ready, ma cherie." Fleur said gently as Hermione tensed slightly, nodding her understanding and pulled her wand from her ankle holster. She gripped it firmly as the Frenchwoman raised her hand to her door and frowned. "My wards 'ave been dispelled." Jade clenched her jaw and Hermione heard a soft growl from the Auror as her blue eyes flashed neon for a split second. "You're ready, mon loup?" Jade just nodded, hugging the blonde in her arms closer as Fleur put her hand on the door handle, turning it slowly. When the door opened, the Veela moved in first, wand raised, and then Jade, swiftly moving Luna to the couch. Hermione stayed partially hidden by Fleur as Jade moved next to the Veela and her eyes began to glow in the darkness.

"I don't see anyone," The Auror whispered as she crouched slightly and sniffed the air closer to the ground. "But, someone is definitely here. Their scent is everywhere and…" Jade gasped slightly as she covered her nose and stood back up. "It's strong…like, potpourri." Fleur scowled and lit her wand as Hermione followed suit. There was a barely audible scuffing noise coming from down the hall and Jade was moving forward so quietly that Hermione hadn't noticed the lycan had moved at all. There was a loud roar before a white beam of light filled the hall and Jade was blasted out and into the kitchen, crashing hard into the wall.

"Jade!" Fleur moved protectively in front of Hermione and lit all the lights in her house before moving towards the corridor. "'Ooever you are, come out and I won't 'urt you." Jade groaned as she got back up to her feet, babying her left shoulder and growling. The brunette saw the hair on Jade's head bristle as soft footsteps began echoing in the hall and Hermione gasped when a very attractive red headed older woman revealed herself with her hands up, wand slack in her left hand. Fleur tensed and lowered her wand slightly before holstering it to her hip.

"Zat is no way to treat your family, cousin." The woman said calmly as she turned towards Fleur and smiled. "You need to keep a better leash on your pets, zough." Jade snapped her jaws at the woman and grabbed her by the neck, holding in her in place. "Especially, zis one."

"Can you blame 'er, Colette?" Fleur sighed as she ran a hand through her hair and shook her head. "Let 'er go, Jade, she's my cousin, Colette Nedelaforet." Jade reluctantly released the woman and scoffed, holding her nose again as if it was burning.

"She's Veela." The lycan hissed as she glared at the woman who turned towards the Auror and winked suggestively. "Full Veela." Fleur nodded as Hermione moved out from behind the taller woman and holstered her wand. The red head noticed her and smirked as she moved forward and reached out to gently cup the young witch's cheek. Hermione flinched at the warm touch and her senses were filled with a heavy floral scent that made her mind go fuzzy, her vision tinged with silver flecks. She need to be closer to this woman, her warmth, her scent, she needed more of it. There was a sudden chill on her left hand as she looked over and saw Fleur, a hard, but troubled expression on her flawless face as she held onto Hermione's hand. Brown eyes closed as she shook her head and swatted Colette's hand away with a scowl. "Enough, Colette!" Fleur snarled as she grabbed her cousin by the shoulder and pushed her back. "She's never felt a Veela's thrall before."

"She 'andled it quite well in my opinion." Hazel eyes glanced up at Fleur as Colette drew her hand back and straightened up. "Ees she zee one, Fleur?" Colette's eyebrows raised in interest as her eyes roamed the brunette up and down, making Hermione feel more exposed than she should while clothed. She crossed her arms over her chest in an attempt to stop the Veela's view, but the woman just chuckled as she flipped her long hair behind her shoulder and sighed. "You know, Grand-mere eesn't very 'appy that you 'aven't brought zis girl 'ome to France to meet zee 'ole family."

"We aren't ready for that." The blonde part-Veela argued as she shook her head and glanced down at the brunette who was looking up at her with confused look on her face. "She's young, she doesn't understand and I 'aven't 'ad a chance to speak with 'er about all of this."

"What's there to speak of?" Colette asked as she shrugged and closed her eyes. "She ees 'ere with you, non? What more ees there?" Fleur just growled as she clutched at Hermione's hand and moved the girl behind her again protectively as Jade shook her head.

"Enough," Jade hissed as she flexed her arms and narrowed her glowing blue eyes. "You're breaking and entering, which is against the law here, leave, now before I have to use excessive force." She cracked her neck and released a deep growl, her teeth growing sharp in her mouth. Colette giggled and moved towards the lycan who just snapped her jaws as the woman reached for her face. Fleur gasped when she felt the air in the room get heavy and the gold and silver flecks began to invade her vision. Hermione faltered, leaning against Fleur for support as she closed her eyes and clutched to the woman to keep herself grounded. The need to be closer to Colette was almost painful as she fell to her knees and inhaled the scent of a field of wild flowers bombarding her. Colette seemed confused as she pulled her hand away from the lycan and scowled.

"You're unaffected by my zrall." She said calmly as Jade smirked and smacked her hand away. "At first I zought you were a dog, but you must be a wolf."

"We only have one true mate," The lycan smiled as Colette took a step back, the thickness dissipated and Hermione began to gasp for air. Fleur caught the brunette as she collapsed to her knees and glared at her cousin. "Until we find them, we won't fall to another's attempts, so we are immune to Veela's. Lycan's at least, I can't speak for werewolves." Colette scoffed and folded her arms over her chest, thoroughly annoyed by the lack of fawning Jade provided.

"You're too eager with your thrall, Colette." Fleur chastised as she stood full and helped Hermione to the couch where Luna had yet to stir. "'Ow would grand-mere feel if she knew you were using it on your own kind, not to mention unnecessarily on family." The red head sighed and shrugged her shoulders again.

"My apologies, Fleur." The woman's hazel eyes flashed again to Hermione as the brunette frowned and averted her gaze to the floor. "Eet's not often I'm around such," She glanced at Jade and smirked. "Vibrant company. Anyway, I just came to veeseet and let you know zat grand-mere 'as grown tired of waiting on you. So next time you 'ave a day off, go see 'er. Au revoir, dear Fleur." Without another word, Colette waved her wand and disapparated away, leaving a very agitated Fleur and lycan as Jade huffed and shook her head.

"She's a ball of fun." The lycan spat as she tore her cloak off and rested it on the kitchen table. "Are all of your family members so…presumptuous?"

"I agree." Hermione sighed as her senses finally seemed to return to her fully and she held her hands in her hair as Jade handed her a glass of water. She glanced up at the Auror who smirked. "Are all full blooded Veelas like that?"

"Well, she wasn't using her thrall fully." The blonde muttered as she walked around the counter and pulled out a couple wine glasses. "But, no, my other family members don't carelessly use their thrall like that, especially on other Veela."

"What was she saying about me being the 'one'?" The younger witch continued as she took a drink of her water and looked up into pale blue eyes. Fleur tensed slightly and combed her fingers through Hermione's chestnut locks. Brown eyes blinked a few times as she leaned forward and laid a lingering kiss on Hermione's forehead. "What did she mean?"

"You two have a lot to talk about." Jade said suddenly as she downed the water in her glass and grabbed her cloak. "I'll take Luna home so you two can have some privacy." Hermione was still a bit surprised that her blonde friend hadn't moved a muscle since they had arrived. Jade leaned down and scooped Luna up in her arms before winking at the two friends. "I'll talk to you later, you two."

x—x

After Jade had left, Hermione found herself and Fleur sitting on the couch in front of the fire, much like the previous night they had spent together sipping wine. The air was calm as Hermione leaned over to rest her head on the blonde's shoulder and released a contented sigh. She was a bit nervous, but she was trying to hide it. Little did she know that Fleur was almost as apprehensive as she was to explain what her cousin had meant earlier.

"You and your cousin don't seem to get on." Hermione whispered as she set her wine glass down and sat up straighter, a bit away from Fleur. "Do you get along with the rest of your family?"

"If by family you mean my immediate family," Fleur sighed as she swirled her wine in her glass and smiled down at the young witch next to her. "Then yes, I get along well with my parents, Gabrielle and my grandmother, but we are a…competitive family with my aunts and cousins." Hermione nodded as she turned so she was sitting sideways, facing the blonde as she sighed. "We 'ave some things to discuss, ma belle. You know of Veelas, surely. Knowing you, I'd assume you'd 'ave read every book you could find on us."

"I did do a lot of research when you arrived for the Triwizard Tournament." Hermione admitted as she blushed slightly and shrugged. "Why? What does that have to do what is going on with us?"

"Well, as with Jade, Veelas 'ave mates." The brunette nodded and kept her gaze trained on the woman before her as Fleur combed her fingers through her hair anxiously. "But it is different with Veela. It is said that Veela 'ave power over water and are often born when a witch 'as drowned and 'as been betrayed by a lover. Of course it doesn't 'ave to be water, but the betrayal is a repetitive factor in our lore. Despite what a lot of people believe, Veela 'ave one true mate that we will spend the rest of our lives with." Hermione's eyes were wide now, realization slowly seeping into her as she nodded slowly. "With Jade, she will know right away 'oo 'er mate with be and if she dates someone that is not 'er mate, she'll know. For a Veela, we can fall in love with someone that isn't our mate and make a life, but when our mate comes along, it changes everything."

"This sounds awfully familiar, Fleur." The shorter witch breathed as she brushed a few stray curls behind her ear and Fleur nodded with a small chuckle. "Sounds a lot like you, actually. So, you fell in love with Bill, made a life with him and then…" Hermione looked up into soft blue eyes with Fleur smiling knowingly back at her as she reached forward and gently took her hands into hers. "Then…"

"Then you showed up on my door step at Shell Cottage." Fleur finished as she gently stroked the back of the brunette's hand with her thumb. "And I cared for you, I protected you and I realized something I think I knew when you were fifteen. But it's frightening, finding the person you're going to spend the rest of your life with when you 'aven't even experienced much of life yourself." Hermione blinked a few times as she comprehended what Fleur had just told her. "And you were very young then." There were a lot of thoughts running through Hermione's mind at that moment, mainly the fact that Fleur had mentioned she thought that she had cared for her all the way back to her fourth year, the first time they had met even. "Anyways, once a Veela finds their mate, it's custom to introduce them to their family, as most normal couples do. But from there, the couple will be introduced to the Veela clan leader and from there it's almost like an initiation into the family. Do you understand what I'm telling you, mon coeur?"

"We have to go to France." Hermione answered as she squeezed Fleur's hands and smiled softly before leaning forward, taking the blonde's face in her hands gently and looking into warm blue eyes that were reflecting the dim orange flames from the fire place. "I have to meet your family and this clan leader, right?" Fleur chuckled as she gently rested her hands on the brunette's neck and ghosted her thumbs along her skin.

"I'm rather surprised you're not shocked that I've told you you're my mate," A sigh of relief escaped the Veela's lungs as she closed her eyes and Hermione giggled softly before brushing her fingers along the blonde's jaw. "No matter 'ow subtle I tried to make it and 'ow obvious it was."

"As you said," The short witch mused as she moved forward and pressed her forehead against Fleur's, barely brushing her nose against hers. "I read as many books as I could on Veela culture, lore, and mannerisms. I was quite the bookworm in school, you see." The blonde smirked as she held Hermione close, keeping their foreheads touching, enjoying the closeness and comfort she was receiving. "Although you could've properly asked me to be your girlfriend before dropping the 'mated for life' bomb on me." Fleur just laughed as she pulled Hermione forward and captured her lips in loving kiss.

x—x

"Good on ya, Gin!" Jade greeted as she opened the door to Grimmauld Place and saw Harry and Ginny sitting in the den wrapped around each other. "Which room is Luna's?"

"Why is Luna passed out, for one?!" Ginny yelped as she jumped up and narrowed her caramel eyes at the lycan. "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing," The Auror shrugged as she raised her eyebrows at the girl and shook her head. "We went out drinking after the confrontation with your parents and she had a bit too much. So I'm just bringing her home."

"Where are Hermione and Fleur?" Harry asked as he stood up and stretched his arms over his head. "They went with you, didn't they?" Jade adjusted so the young girl in her arms was resting her head against her neck and nodded.

"They had some things to discuss." She answered as Luna whimpered and Jade held her tighter. "Anyways, back to the matter at hand, Luna's room?"

"Third door on the left, second floor." The man answered as Ginny crossed her arms over her chest and stomped off towards the kitchen. "Sorry about that, she's still a bit miffed. After you guys left she took the brunt of Molly's rage, as well as Ron's." Jade winced slightly as she made her way up the stairs.

"I should apologize for that." Jade muttered as she made her way to the second floor. "My inner beast doesn't really have an off button when it comes to Fleur."

"You really care about her, don't you." The blue eyed Auror stopped for a moment and nodded, smiling kindly down at her young protégé.

"She's my best friend." As she made it to the second floor landing, she looked back down at Harry and sighed. "I imagine Hermione is the same for you." Harry nodded and waved as Jade made her way towards Luna's door and nudged it with her shoulder. The blonde in her arms stirred slightly as pale blue eyes fluttered open. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty." Luna just grumbled as she buried her face in Jade's neck and the lycan chuckled before pecking her on the forehead.

"Where are we?" Luna grumbled as Jade waved her hand and lit a few candles that were around the room.

"In your room," Jade replied as she gently laid the girl down on her bed and pulled a small vial out of her pocket. "I have a Hangover Potion for you, you should probably take it now if you don't want that headache in the morning." The blonde groaned as she took the vial of thick green liquid and downed it in one gulp.

"Ugh…it's foul." The lycan smirked as Luna handed the vial back and Jade pocketed it. "Did I miss anything fun after we left the club?"

"Well," Luna's eyes fluttered shut as she rubbed her hand over her forehead and Jade sat on the edge of the bed before running her fingers through soft golden locks. "We went back to Fleur's loft and her cousin was there, that was sort of exciting."

"Is that where you got this?" Luna reached up and gently brushed a small gash above Jade's left eyebrow. The lycan glanced up in the direction of the blonde's hand and shrugged. "I wouldn't think that any family of Fleur's would be hostile towards you."

"She was a bit forward." Jade leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees and rub the back of her neck. "Probably a good thing you didn't meet her. She was a pure blooded Veela and very powerful." The young witch sat up and wrapped her arms around Jade's shoulders before pressing her forehead against the Auror's temple.

"I would've hexed her if I saw her hurt you." The dreamy eyed young woman pecked Jade on the cheek before lying her head on her shoulder. "I'm rather fierce, you know." The lycan chuckled before wrapping an arm around Luna's shoulders and embracing her gently.

"I wouldn't want to pick a fight with you." She whispered as she rested her cheek against the shorter woman's head. "But I really think you should get some sleep though, you're going to need it." Jade pressed her lips against Luna's forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow?" She was about to get up when she felt a firm grip on her arm, keeping her rooted to the spot and she glanced down at her girlfriend with her eyebrows raised.

"We could see each other more efficiently if you stay the night." Luna's voice was breathy as she clung to the Auror and nuzzled her face into her shoulder. "I feel like I could get a better rest with you." Jade chuckled as she watched the blonde pull away remove her cloak and shoes before lying down on the bed, patting the opposite side.

"If you insist." Blue eyes glowed softly as the flames of the candles doused and Jade draped her cloak at the foot of the bed before kicking off her shoes. She laid down next to the blonde and smiled when Luna moved so her head was resting on her chest. Glowing orbs glanced out the window and sighed, watching the moonlight move along the bed and fall on her leg. Jade growled softly before moving her leg out of the light and rolled her neck slightly. She laid there for a few minutes, her eyes finally getting heavy as she began to relax before her enhanced hearing picked up the sounds of something crashing downstairs. Jade sat up and got out of bed, making sure that her girlfriend was still sleeping before opening the door as quietly as possible. The lights were off in the house as she made her way down the stairs, prowling around corners, hearing the racket coming from the kitchen. Blue eyes were glowing brightly as she glanced around the doorway and saw a figure trying to pick up what they'd knocked over. The lycan growled before charging into the kitchen, catching the intruder in a headlock. "You broke into the wrong house, pal." The figure moved back and slammed her into the counter as he tried to escape, but Jade, being a lycan, wasn't one to be shaken easily. She snarled as he clawed at her arms and she kicked his knees out.

"What the bloody hell?!" A voice sounded as the lights flickered on and Harry, along with Ginny, appeared with their wands drawn. "Ron?" Jade's eyes widened as she looked down and narrowed when she was met with messy red hair. She grunted before releasing the man and straightening up. "What are you doing here, mate?"

"I thought someone would be up to be honest." The youngest Weasley boy grunted as he stood up, rubbing his neck where Jade had held him. "Didn't know you guys got a guard dog."

"Watch it, boy." Jade hissed as she stepped towards him and he cowered back. "You shouldn't have really broken in either."

"I know how to dispel the wards." Ron argued as he sat at the table and Ginny sighed before whacking her brother over the head with her wand.

"You could've at least let Harry or I know!" She chastised as a hand ran through her red hair. "And you never answered Harry's questions, why are you here?" The man shook his head and ruffled his hair before looking up at his friend and sister. Jade had an eyebrow quirked at the red head as he sighed and mumbled something under his breath. "Excuse me? I didn't hear your, Ron."

"I came to talk to Hermione." Ginny folded her arms over her chest and gave her brother a skeptical look. "Just to ask her about Fleur! Is it true? I mean…is she and Fleur together?"

"Yes." Jade didn't hesitate to douse the man's feelings as she glared at him. "They are."

"I want to hear it from Hermione."

"Then why did you ask?" The lycan growled as she bared her teeth at the Weasley. "You need to hear it from everyone before you'll believe it?" He just rolled his eyes and looked back at Harry and Ginny.

"Well, where is she?" Harry ran his hand through his hair and sighed.

"She's at Fleur's place tonight." The bespectacled man answered as he shrugged his shoulders and pocketed his wand. "She's been there the past two nights." Ron's face fell as the words hit him and Ginny shook her head before turning towards Jade.

"We should all get back to bed," She sighed and turned to leave. "You can sleep in the spare bedroom on the third floor, ok?" He just nodded as Jade moved past to go back to Luna's room.


End file.
